crosvm (ChromeOS Virtual Machine Monitor) is a secure, lightweight virtual machine monitor built on top of the Linux KVM hypervisor. Developed for ChromeOS, it is designed to isolate and execute Linux and Android guests efficiently while maintaining strong security boundaries. Unlike general-purpose emulators like QEMU, crosvm avoids full hardware emulation and focuses on modern paravirtualized I/O using the virtio standard, reducing complexity and attack surface. Written in Rust, it emphasizes memory safety and modularity, allowing sandboxed device emulation with fine-grained privilege separation. crosvm underpins several ChromeOS subsystems, including Android Runtime for Chrome (ARCVM) and Crostini Linux containers, enabling rich application compatibility within a tightly controlled environment.
Features
- KVM-based virtual machine monitor optimized for Linux and Android guests
- Rust implementation focused on safety, performance, and maintainability
- Uses virtio for paravirtualized device communication instead of hardware emulation
- Modular architecture supporting sandboxed device models
- Designed for ChromeOS integration as a secure application boundary
- Supports both user and system-level virtualization workflows
Project Samples
