"Decades of vulnerabilities have proven how difficult it is to prevent memory-corrupting bugs when using C/C++. While garbage-collected languages like C# or Java have proven more resilient to these issues, there are scenarios where they cannot be used. For such cases, we’re betting on Rust as the alternative to C/C++. Rust is a modern language designed to compete with the performance C/C++, but with memory safety and thread safety guarantees built into the language. While we are not able to rewrite everything in Rust overnight, we’ve already adopted Rust in some of the most critical components of Azure’s infrastructure. We expect our adoption of Rust to expand substantially over time."
From https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-azure-secur...
Several key projects have been migrated to Rust, or started from Rust althogether.
=> Azure Boost
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-boost/overview
"Rust serves as the primary language for all new code written on the Boost system, to provide memory safety without impacting performance. Control and data plane operations are isolated with memory safety improvements that enhance Azure’s ability to keep tenants safe."
=> OpenHCL, Azure's para-virtualization
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-os-platform-b...
"OpenHCL is a para-virtualization layer built from the ground-up in the Rust programming language. Rust is designed with strong memory safety principles, making it ideally suited for the virtualization layer."
=> Security processor Pluton firmware (used by XBox, Azure and CoPilot+ PC hardware)
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/hardware-...
Post from David Weston, Microsoft's vice president of OS security regarding the Rust rewrite and TockOS adoption, https://x.com/dwizzzleMSFT/status/1803550239057650043
=> CoPilot+ UEFI firmware
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/surface-it-pro-blog/r...
"Surface and Project Mu are working together to drive adoption of Rust into the UEFI ecosystem. Project Mu has implemented the necessary changes to the UEFI build environment to allow seamless integration of Rust modules into UEFI codebases. Surface is leveraging that support to build Rust modules in Surface platform firmware. With Rust in Project Mu, Microsoft's ecosystem benefits from improved security transparency while reducing the attack surface of Microsoft devices due to Rust’s memory safety benefits. Also, by contributing firmware written in Rust to open-sourced Project Mu, Surface participates in an industry shift to collaboration with lower costs and a higher security bar. With this adoption, Surface is protecting and leading the Microsoft ecosystem more than ever."