JavaScript engines face a dilemma: on one end, they need to be extremely efficient as they are processing millions of lines of JavaScript code, dynamically translating complex programs into efficient code. On the other end, the code may be controlled by an attacker that is trying to exploit bugs in …
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QMSan: discovering uninitialized memory errors in binaries
Sanitizers serve as the primary bug detection Oracle during automated testing. They "crash" the program gracefully and tell the fuzzer when and where a bug was triggered. The most well-known sanitizer is ASan or AddressSanitizer which adds redzones around memory objects to detect whenever an access is out-of-bounds. MSan or …
read moreTruman: discovering hypervisor bugs through virtual device models
Hypervisors power not just the cloud but are becoming a commodity in mobile phones and desktops as well. They separate virtual machines from each other, enabling strong isolation and security guarantees. In cloud environments, hypervisors separate non-trusting virtual machines and an attacker may try to compromise and gain access to …
read moreFrom Fuzzing to Frameworks: 2024 Research Highlights
2024 was an active year for the HexHive research group, marked by tireless efforts to enhance the security of various complex systems. A key trend throughout the year was the continued evolution of fuzzing research. Notably, we observed a gradual shift away from general-purpose fuzzing as a primary research focus …
read moreRIP Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Wirth, known for his work on programming languages and systems, died on January 1st, 2024 (ETH Zurich). Wirth was known for his work on programming languages and systems with a keen focus on simplicity and functionality for which he was awarded the 1984 Turing Award. His most well-known language …
read moreWriting (successful) ERC grants in Europe
In 2018, when I moved from Purdue University in the US to EPFL in Switzerland, I had the opportunity to apply for an ERC H2020 starting grant in computer science. ERC starting grants are similar to the NSF Career award and can be submitted up to 7 years after completing …
read morePhD at EPFL, in Europe
Every December a lot of prospective students reach out to faculty regarding PhD programs. This is the time where we review the students and assess their skills and potential along many dimensions such as past research, research ideas, engineering capabilities, and systems experience. These discussions along with the submission of …
read morePositive reviewing in software security
Yesterday we concluded the NDSS20 PC meeting. In total, 12% of papers were accepted, 6% now have a short fuse major revision opportunity, in line with other top tier conferences. The PC chairs handled the meeting well, striving for positivity and feedback for the authors. Overall, this was a great …
read moreHow not to alienate your reviewers, aka writing a decent rebuttal
Assuming you have given everything to write the best and most beautiful paper you can ever create, it is obvious that the reviewers must see your points and therefore write you a favorable review with a recommendation of strong accept. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and reviewers may …
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