DIKU Bits: Randomly finding bugs

Portrait of Ken

Speaker

Ken Friis Larsen, Associate Professor in the Programming Languages and Theory of Computing (PLTC) section and DIKU's Deputy Head of Department for Education

Title

Randomly finding bugs

Abstract

Writing tests can be a chore. How do you come up with good test cases?

Like many other chores, writing tests can be automated. In this talk, I'll explain how to automatically generate good, random test-cases.

This is done by introducing techniques such as fuzz testing and property-based testing. Property-based testing, in particular, helps you create better, more solid tests with little code. During the talk, I'll explain how we have used property-based testing to find security-bugs in the Linux kernel.

Which courses do you teach? (BSc and MSc)

I teach 'Proactive Computer Security' (PCS) MSc, and then I'm also often a guest lecturer at other courses, for instance 'Software Security' (SoS) MSc, and 'Programmering og problemløsning' (PoP) BSc.

Which technology/research/projects/startup are you excited to see the evolution of?

eBPF in the Linux kernel.

What is your favourite sketch from the DIKUrevy?

It is impossible to pick just one, but I must choose it will have to be "DIKUrevy 2014: KEN", mainly for the high-quality acting. With honourable mentions to the whole topDatamat series and "DIKUrevy 2015: Ph.D.-livet"