Google has introduced Kernel Address Sanitizer (KASan) to enhance the security of Android firmware. KASan is designed to detect memory corruption vulnerabilities and stability issues before they affect user devices. It works by monitoring memory access operations to ensure they only target valid regions, identified in a shadow memory area. This tool has already helped identify and fix over 40 memory safety bugs in Android firmware. KASan is particularly useful for bare-metal targets, requiring specific compiler options and strategies to implement effectively. It's part of Google's efforts to address the security challenges posed by the vast number of Android devices and the fragmented ecosystem that makes vulnerability patching difficult.
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