Attention
This is the documentation of the last development version. For most users, the documentation of the latest supported release is more appropriate.
Research
Here are links to various research papers, projects, videos, and blog posts related to Qubes OS.
Secure Software Development
Security challenges for the Qubes build process by Joanna Rutkowska, May 2016
Towards Trusted Hardware
Thoughts on the “physically secure” ORWL computer by Joanna Rutkowska, September 2016
State considered harmful by Joanna Rutkowska, December 2015
Intel x86 considered harmful by Joanna Rutkowska, October 2015
Intel’s Safeguard Extensions
Thoughts on Intel’s upcoming SoftwareGuard Extensions (Part 2) by Joanna Rutkowska, September 2013
Thoughts on Intel’s upcoming SoftwareGuard Extensions (Part 1) by Joanna Rutkowska, August 2013
Attacks on Intel TXT
Attacking Intel TXT® via SINIT code execution hijacking by Rafal Wojtczuk and Joanna Rutkowska, November 2011
Another Way to Circumvent Intel® Trusted Execution Technology by Rafal Wojtczuk, Joanna Rutkowska, Alex Tereshkin, December 2009
ACPI: Design Principles and Concerns by Loic Duflot, Olivier Levillain, and Benjamin Morin, 2009
Attacking Intel® Trusted Execution Technology by Rafal Wojtczuk and Joanna Rutkowska
Software Attacks Coming Through Devices
Following the White Rabbit: Software Attacks against Intel® VT-d by Rafal Wojtczuk and Joanna Rutkowska, April 2011
On Formally Verified Microkernels (and on attacking them) by Joanna Rutkowska, May 2010
Remotely Attacking Network Cards (or why we do need VT-d and TXT) by Joanna Rutkowska, April 2010
Can you still trust your network card? by Loïc Duflot, Yves-Alexis Perez and others
Application-level Security
Virtics: A System for Privilege Separation of Legacy Desktop Applications by Matt Piotrowski, May 2010
Compartmentalization, Isolation, and Separation
Software compartmentalization vs. physical separation by Joanna Rutkowska, August 2014
Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Security and Functionality in a Commodity Hypervisor by Patrick Colp at el., October 2011
The Qubes Architecture
Qubes virtual mini-summit 2021 by 3mdeb and the Qubes team, August 2021
Qubes Air: Generalizing the Qubes Architecture by Joanna Rutkowska, January 2018
Introducing the Next Generation Qubes Core Stack by Joanna Rutkowska, October 2017
Introducing the Qubes Admin API by Joanna Rutkowska, June 2017
Qubes OS Architecture Spec v0.3 by Joanna Rutkowska and Rafal Wojtczuk, January 2010