<stephane.ducasse@inria.fr> wrote:
But why we could not have a byecode validator at the image level that first make sure that byte code are in sync with the format of the objects.
Because it can be compromised. An in-image verifier is subject to attack, and could be disabled by an attack that got past the in-image verifier before it got a chance to run. An in-VM verifier is not possible to side-step because it is the only way to execute code. So an in-VM verifier can be secure but an in-image one can't and so is pointless.
For real hacker there's nothing impossible :)
Right now its not possible to split image to layered onion (like operating system does, where you have kernel level, and user level), but i think (at least in theory) such composition could be implemented, except that sure thing we don't have resources to invest in this direction.
It is actually nice field for research (hello guys from academy :)
we have three phds on the topics and we will see.
-- Best regards, Igor Stasenko AKA sig.