Here's the summary of the new Memory Safe Language (MSL) guidance. Why do you care? Memory safety vulnerabilities persist at alarming rates.
Some older stats:
- About 70% of Microsoft CVEs are memory safety issues
- 70% of Google Chromium project vulnerabilities are memory safety related
- 67% of zero-day vulnerabilities in 2021 were memory safety issues
Some newer stats. Because there's still a challenge.
- 66% of iOS CVEs are memory safety related
- 71% of macOS CVEs stem from memory safety issues
If you haven't been thinking about root cause analysis for reducing software vulnerabilities you're already behind your peers. And here is a major root cause. Memory Safe Programming Languages (MSLs) can eliminate these vulnerabilities entirely. These are programming languages designed to prevent common memory-related coding errors that malicious actors routinely exploit.
Business and Technical Benefits
All of this is interesting... but take note:
Security Benefits: (obviously...)
- Vulnerability Elimination: Entire classes of bugs become impossible
- Reduced Attack Surface: Forces attackers to find other types of vulnerabilities
- Proactive Protection: Prevents problems during development rather than patching them later
Reliability Benefits: (good for business...)
- Fewer Crashes: Programs behave more predictably
- Better Error Messages: When problems occur, MSLs provide clearer debugging information
- Increased Uptime: More stable systems mean less downtime
Productivity Benefits: (good for the people...)
- Faster Debugging: Developers spend less time hunting memory bugs
- Focus on Features: Teams can concentrate on building functionality instead of fixing memory issues
- Reduced Emergency Patches: Fewer urgent security updates needed
Sources:
- Memory Safe Languages: Reducing Vulnerabilities in Modern Software Development
- The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps
