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GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

github.com

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Re: GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

#2

Post by the-smug-one »

Go has some nice tooling which is quite easy to use w.r.t. static analysis. I started writing a nil pointer analysis tool which was going to take advantage of and provide some more advanced information*. I "unfortunately" had a lot more fun stuff to do during my vacation, but it was very easy to get started with! So kudos to the Go team for making this kind of stuff possible for a 1-man team.

* Just a forward-style abstract interpretation living on-top of Go's type system as an additional layer so you get explanations for why the tool believes that a nil-pointer dereference may occur, etc.

Re: GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

#3

Post by SquishyPanda23 »

the-smug-one wrote: post #2

Go has some nice tooling which is quite easy to use w.r.t. static analysis. I started writing a nil pointer analysis tool which was going to take advantage of and provide some more advanced information*. I "unfortunately" had a lot more fun stuff to do during my vacation, but it was very easy to get started with! So kudos to the Go team for making this kind of stuff possible for a 1-man team. * Just a forward-style a…

> I started writing a nil pointer

It still boggles my mind that Go decided to force programmers to worry about nil pointers.

Re: GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

#4

Post by dabfiend19 »

SquishyPanda23 wrote: post #3
the-smug-one wrote: post #2

Go has some nice tooling which is quite easy to use w.r.t. static analysis. I started writing a nil pointer analysis tool which was going to take advantage of and provide some more advanced information*. I "unfortunately" had a lot more fun stuff to do during my vacation, but it was very easy to get started with! So kudos to the Go team for making this kind of stuff possible for a 1-man team. * Just a forward-style a…

> I started writing a nil pointer It still boggles my mind that Go decided to force programmers to worry about nil pointers.

as opposed to?

Re: GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

#5

Post by streblo »

dabfiend19 wrote: post #4
SquishyPanda23 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I started writing a nil pointer It still boggles my mind that Go decided to force programmers to worry about nil pointers.

as opposed to?

Optionals would have been a way to solve this problem

Re: GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

#6

Post by SquishyPanda23 »

dabfiend19 wrote: post #4
SquishyPanda23 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I started writing a nil pointer It still boggles my mind that Go decided to force programmers to worry about nil pointers.

as opposed to?

Most modern languages have solved the problem. There are a variety of ways to do it.

Re: GoKart: A static analysis tool for securing Go code

#10

Post by brundolf »

I've wondered what it would be like to write a thin language that compiles to Go and mainly serves to introduce a reasonable type system on top, while benefitting from its performance and garbage-collection. Could prevent null dereferencing, among other things
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