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If you want good security, you can't download new untested code. Sandboxing is important, but the most important part is to not allow arbitrary code to run. WA
by Nokinside 6y ago
If you want good security, you can't download new untested code. Sandboxing is important, but the most important part is to not allow arbitrary code to run.
WASM seems like very good solution if you want to load random code and still retain as much safety and flexibility as possible. The burden is now moved to code that interacts with potentially misbehaving code. Check and verify all outputs, limit resource usage. Using WASM system It's not so different from calling remote server in the cloud. Anything can happen during executing but only the interacting with the system can cause harm outside the system.
- justinclift 6y agoWonder what the potential for side channel attacks (eg timing analysis, etc) will turn out to be with wasm?
- Nokinside 6y agoMany side channel attacks available for native binaries are impossible in wasm, because code can't be handcrafted. It always goes trough compiler. When they exist, potential WASM side channel attacks are system/compiler specific and can be fixed with software updates. Compilers can be designed to remove the possibility it becomes a real issue.
- justinclift 6y ago> ... are impossible in wasm, because code can't be handcrafted. It always goes trough compiler. That's extremely wrong. People have been hand writing WASM files for ages.