Name: Rex: Safe and Usable Kernel Extensions in Rust - Jinghao Jia, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Start: 2025-06-25T16:20:00-0600
End: 2025-06-25T17:00:00-0600

June 23 - 25, 2025
Denver, Colorado
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Wednesday June 25, 2025 4:20pm - 5:00pm MDT

Bluebird Ballroom 2C

We present the Rex project (https://github.com/rex-rs/rex). Rex is a Linux kernel extension framework that allows extension programs to be written in safe Rust. Rex offers similar safety guarantees to eBPF. Unlike eBPF-based tools like Aya, Rex extensions are not compiled into eBPF bytecode. Rex eliminates the in-kernel verifier – the safety of Rex extensions is built atop language-based safety plus runtime protection. Specifically, the Rex compiler enforces Rex extensions to be written in a subset of safe Rust, and emits native code directly. Rex implements its kernel crate with a safe interface that wraps existing eBPF interface. Rex also employs a lightweight runtime that implements graceful Rust panic handling with resource cleanups, kernel stack checks, and program termination.

Rex provides a more usable and arguably safer alternative to eBPF. The usability advantage comes from the elimination of in-kernel verifiers that are known to reject safe extension programs with cryptic feedback. We also show that Rex’s runtime protection provides stronger safety than eBPF in a few aspects, e.g., protecting kernel stacks from overflowing.

More details: https://tinyurl.com/y8uj8ypp

Speakers

Jinghao Jia

Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Jinghao Jia is a fourth year Ph.D. student at UIUC. His research focus on operating system kernel extensions (e.g. eBPF). Specifically, he works on building safe and reliable kernel extensions as well as the applications of these kernel extensions in practice.

Wednesday June 25, 2025 4:20pm - 5:00pm MDT
Bluebird Ballroom 2C

Linux

Audience Experience Level Any

Open Source Summit North America 2025

Jinghao Jia

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