Microsoft is in the process of migrating Windows libraries from C/C++ to Rust. The programming languages ​​offer better protection against bugs in the operating system.

Rust is not yet the most used, but perhaps the most popular programming language. More and more developers and companies rely on Rust, including Microsoft. David Weston, Chief Executive Officer responsible for the security of the Windows ecosystem, has publicly confirmed that Microsoft is moving the core operating system code from C/C++ to Rust.

In fact, The Register knows that this process has been going on for years. In 2020, Microsoft began rewriting DWriteCore, a text analysis, layout, and rendering engine, on Rust and has now written 152,000 lines of code in the language. The Win32 GDI graphical interface now contains 36,000 lines of code written in Rust.

Why rust?

What does it matter to you as a Windows user whether the code is written in Rust or in C/C++? Rust has built-in mechanisms to protect memory from unsafe use. This makes it virtually impossible for developers to inadvertently write malicious bugs into the core of a piece of software. This should make Windows safer and more stable in the future.

According to Microsoft, errors in the memory of C and C++ are the cause of no less than 70 percent of all security gaps in Windows. Looking for a safer programming language to strengthen Windows at its core, Rust took center stage. Microsoft is already actively working to stop using C/C++. The company keeps what it promises.

Weston says a Windows 11 version with Rust in the kernel has passed internal security testing, but Microsoft is waiting several weeks to roll it out widely. However, it is not intended that all Windows code will eventually migrate to Rust.

Google has also openly declared its love for Rust. The tech giant is investigating how C/C++ may be phased out in Android and Chromium. In addition, Rust has also been given a place in the kernel of the latest Linux versions. The hype surrounding Rust will not die down in the programming landscape anytime soon.