Re: OT: UK okays warrantless remote hacking of PCs

Joel Koltner wrote:
"Martin Brown" <|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:3c96112f-4f16-4f4f-81e4-9e8403d32b7c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It is very hard to execute data on a Harvard architecture machine.

I agree, Harvard architecture machines do provide a legitimate benefit there. I'm perhaps a bit short-sighted on this as I grew up on assembly/C/C++ von Newumann architectures.

Although people don't like them these days segmented architecture
memory with permissions is an excellent defence against illicit
hostile code being put into a memory segment and then executed. The
belated NOEXECUTE flag is a fine example of shutting the stable door
on Wintel machines when there are still big holes in the walls.

I would agree that C/C++ typically it *easier* for novice/inexperienced
programmers to write exploitable code, I suppose, but the "solution" of "just
This definition would appear to include most of the MS development
team.

Haha... well, as a percentage of total developers at MS, I'd wager you're correct -- even though I have absolutely zero concrete data in the matter. :-)

There are better languages that could be used for safety critical
applications. Modula2 was one of the simplest robust ones that had a
brief acceptance in some fields, and Ada is another heavyweight
(although a bit OTT for my tastes).

I haven't used Ada, although I have used the somewhat similar VHDL, and I'd have to say... it's really rather annoying! When your compiler can tell you quite specifically what syntactical errors you're making ("...this should have been 'begin function' and not 'begin architecture' or somesuch...), it's a sign that your language is overly wordy.

Yes - much better good old fashioned messages such as "Error 1267 - refer to manual"

--
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
http://www.theconsensus.org/ - A UK political party
http://www.onetribe.me.uk/wordpress/?cat=5 - Our podcasts on weird stuff
.

Relevant Pages

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