StarMalloc: A Formally Verified, Concurrent, Performant, and Security-Oriented Memory Allocator

Abstract

In this work, we present StarMalloc, a verified, security-oriented, concurrent memory allocator that can be used as a drop-in replacement in real-world projects. Using the Steel separation logic framework, we show how to specify and verify StarMalloc, relying on dependent types and modular abstractions to enable efficient verification. As part of StarMalloc, we also develop several generic datastructures and proof libraries directly reusable in future systems verification projects. We finally show that StarMalloc can be used with real-world projects, including the Firefox browser, and evaluate it against 10 state-of-the-art memory allocators, demonstrating its competitiveness.