SOSP2025

Prove It to the Kernel: Precise Extension Analysis via Proof-Guided Abstraction Refinement

Hao Sun, Zhendong Su

Abstract

Modern OS kernels, such as Linux, employ the eBPF subsystem to enable user space to extend kernel functionality. To ensure safety, an in-kernel verifier statically analyzes these extensions; however, its imprecise analysis frequently results in the erroneous rejection of safe extensions, exposing a critical tension between the precision and computational complexity of the verifier that limits kernel extensibility.