2 ms·
In #3, the C implementation is not what's memory-safe, that's what I've been trying to say. CHERI is memory-safe, but the C isn't what actually guarantees the m
by LoganDark 2y ago
In #3, the C implementation is not what's memory-safe, that's what I've been trying to say. CHERI is memory-safe, but the C isn't what actually guarantees the memory safety. You can dereference a null pointer on CHERI. The architecture can trap it, but that doesn't change the fact that C actually attempted to do it and therefore would not be memory-safe. Only the system as a whole prevents the memory unsafety.
- aidenn0 2y agoAha. I think we agree. I originally said "C on CHERI hardware is memory safe" by which I meant "the system as a whole of (C code + CHERI hardware)" is memory safe, but you seemed to think I meant (C code) is memory safe.
- LoganDark 2y agoI actually had thought you meant something like "the C language is memory safe when run on CHERI". If you mean that running a C program on CHERI prevents memory safety from actually being broken, then yeah, I guess we do agree. On CHERI, even if the C program alone isn't completely sound, and so attempts to violate memory safety, the attempt won't actually succeed, so memory safety won't actually be violated.