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Google Native Client Puts x86 On the Web

Posted by timothy on from the which-can-then-be-virtualized-ad-infinitum dept.

t3rmin4t0r writes "Google has announced its Google native client, which enables x86 native code to be run securely inside a browser. With Java applets already dead and buried, this could mean the end of the new war between browsers and the various JavaScript engines (V8, Squirrelfish, Tracemonkey). The only question remains whether it can be secured (ala ActiveX) and whether the advantages carry over onto non-x86 platforms. The package is available for download from its Google code site. Hopefully, I can finally write my web apps in asm." Note: the Google code page description points out that this is not ready for production use: "We've released this project at an early, research stage to get feedback from the security and broader open-source communities." Reader eldavojohn links to a technical paper linked from that Google code page [PDF] titled "Native Client: A Sandbox for Portable, Untrusted x86 Native Code," and suggests this in-browser Quake demo, which requires the Native Code plug-in.

4 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. doesn't sound too secure yet by alain94040 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is not a good thing: by definition x86 code is not portable across platforms.

    Secure or not, it goes against the main founding principle of the web, which is portability. There are other ways to solve the performance issue, I thought just-in-time compilers were getting pretty close anyway (50% according to http://www.mobydisk.com/softdev/techinfo/speedtest/index.html).

    On the security side, I'll just quote Google's description: "modules may not contain certain instruction sequences". That doesn't sound like a robust way to detect malicious code.

    http://fairsoftware.net/ where software developers share revenue from the apps they create together

    1. Re:doesn't sound too secure yet by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Those that don't understand java are doomed to repeat it.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  2. A remarkably bad idea. by John+Hasler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It will go far.

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  3. What a stupid idea by Sloppy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Seriously, this is even worse than saving Hitler's brain by putting into the body of a great white shark armed with lasers.

    With Java applets already dead and buried

    If you want crap like this, you would be a lot better off, by just exhuming Java applets.

    I really hope this project dies a quiet death.

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