Collaborative Research: SaTC: CORE: Medium: Compiler-Assisted Embedded Security

低成本、高能效的嵌入式系统有着数十亿美元的市场。不幸的是，由于这类系统的软件通常是用C语言开发的，它们遭受了与困扰通用系统的相同的程序员引起的内存错误。然而，与大多数通用计算机不同的是，利用漏洞往往会导致现实世界的物理后果。该项目将开发新的方法来保护嵌入式软件。这个项目的目标不是将安全负担完全放在嵌入式系统的开发人员身上，而是将基本安全属性的强制实施转移到编译器，使用编译时静态分析、运行时检测和硬件支持的组合。该项目还将考虑对编译器进行增强，以支持最终开发人员的安全定制并促进软件寿命。该项目将为低成本嵌入式系统上的编译器辅助安全提供科学基础。这类系统已经广泛部署在现有领域，如网络物理系统，并日益成为物联网(IoT)等新兴技术的一部分。该项目将为研究人员和开发人员制作开源软件和教育构件，包括编译器增强、基准应用程序以及将在教程和会议上展示的构件教程。最后，该项目将通过将研究活动与本科生安全竞赛相结合，改善参与机构的学生教育成果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

There is a multi-billion dollar market for low-cost, energy-efficient embedded systems. Unfortunately, as the software for such systems is typically developed in C, they suffer from the same programmer-induced memory errors that have plagued general-purpose systems. Unlike most general-purpose computers, however, exploitation often leads to real-world physical consequences. This project will develop new methods to secure embedded software. Rather than place the security burden entirely on developers of embedded systems, the objective of this project is to shift the enforcement of fundamental security properties to the compiler, using a combination of compile-time static analysis, runtime instrumentation, and hardware support. The project will also consider compiler enhancements to enable end-developer security customization and promote software longevity.The project will provide a scientific foundation for compiler-assisted security on low-cost embedded systems. Such systems are already widely deployed in existing domains, such as cyber-physical systems, and are increasingly a part of emerging technologies, such as the internet-of-things (IoT). The project will produce open-source software and educational artifacts for both researchers and developers, including compiler enhancements, benchmark applications, and tutorials on the artifacts to be presented at tutorials and conferences. Finally, this project will improve student education outcomes at the participating institutions by integrating the research activities with security competitions for undergraduate students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.