We release security updates for the following versions:

DO NOT report security vulnerabilities through public GitHub issues.

1. Email: Send details to security@julia-viper.dev (or open a private security advisory on GitHub)
2. Include:
   • Description of the vulnerability
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Potential impact
   • Suggested fix (if any)
3. Response Time: We aim to respond within 48 hours
4. Fix Timeline: Critical issues will be patched within 7 days

Julia the Viper provides the following architectural security guarantees:

The parser enforces Harvard Architecture separation:

• Data Language: Only addition allowed, no control flow
• Control Language: Can use Data results, but Data cannot call Control

Example Attack Prevention:

# In other languages, this could execute:
user_input = "5; import os; os.system('rm -rf /')"
eval(user_input)  # DISASTER!

# In JtV, this is a parse error:
user_value = malicious_input
result = user_value + 10  # Parser rejects non-numeric input

The grammar makes injection impossible to express, not just "hard to do".

All arithmetic in Data expressions uses checked operations:

• Addition with overflow detection
• Bounded iteration counts
• Type-safe number system conversions

Smart contract operations are atomic:

• State updates happen in single transaction
• No external calls during state modification
• Balance checks grammatically enforced

Functions marked @pure or @total are proven to halt:

• No unbounded loops allowed in pure context
• No recursion in Data Language
• Static analysis verifies termination

• Parser bypass allowing control flow in Data context
• Memory safety violation in Rust code
• Type confusion leading to arbitrary code execution

• Integer overflow in interpreter
• Incorrect totality analysis
• Smart contract state corruption

• Performance degradation attack (DoS)
• Error message information disclosure
• Incorrect optimization

• Documentation inaccuracies
• Build system issues
• Non-critical deprecations

We maintain:

• Fuzzing: Grammar fuzzing with AFL++
• Property Testing: QuickCheck-style tests for interpreter
• Static Analysis: Clippy with security lints
• Formal Verification: Lean 4 proofs for core properties (planned v2)

We follow coordinated disclosure:

1. Day 0: Receive report
2. Day 1-2: Acknowledge and triage
3. Day 3-7: Develop fix
4. Day 8: Private disclosure to affected users
5. Day 15: Public disclosure with patch

We recognize security researchers who responsibly disclose vulnerabilities:

• (No reports yet - be the first!)

• Email: security@julia-viper.dev
• PGP Key: [Coming soon]
• GitHub Security Advisories: Preferred method

For smart contracts:

[security]
max_iterations = 1_000_000  # Prevent DoS
enable_trace = false        # Don't leak execution info in production
pure_function_enforcement = true  # Strict purity checking

For development:

[security]
max_iterations = 10_000_000
enable_trace = true
pure_function_enforcement = true

• Currently no type checking - planned for v1.1
• Runtime type errors possible
• Mitigation: Explicit type annotations

• Import resolution not fully implemented
• No namespace isolation yet
• Mitigation: Use single-file programs for now

• Code generation incomplete
• No sandboxing yet
• Mitigation: Use interpreter for security-critical code

JtV itself does not implement cryptography, but smart contracts may:

DO:

• Use established cryptographic libraries (libsodium, ring)
• Verify signatures before state changes
• Use constant-time operations

DON'T:

• Implement crypto in JtV itself (use FFI)
• Roll your own crypto
• Use weak algorithms (MD5, SHA1)

• v1.1: Type checking to prevent type confusion
• v1.2: Module isolation for security boundaries
• v2.0: Formal verification with Lean 4
• v2.1: Certified compilation (CompCert-style)

Last updated: 2025-01-22