.NET Framework Security

IL Validation and Verification

When an assembly is executed on the Common Language Runtime, an assembly's IL is compiled on a method-by-method basis as needed just prior to method execution. This form of compilation immediately prior to code execution is aptly called Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. As a result, IL itself never actually gets run; it is an intermediary between compilers emitting assemblies and the Common Language Runtime generating and executing native code. As a result, all IL code that gets invoked ends up being compiled into and executed as native code of the platform on which the CLR runs. However, running native code is inherently dangerous, for example,

• Unmanaged, native code has direct memory access at least throughout the ...