Relational verification using reinforcement learning

Abstract

Relational verification aims to prove properties that relate a pair of programs or two different runs of the same program. While relational properties (e.g., equivalence, non-interference) can be verified by reducing them to standard safety, there are typically many possible reduction strategies, only some of which result in successful automated verification. Motivated by this problem, we propose a new relational verification algorithm that learns useful reduction strategies using reinforcement learning. Specifically, we show how to formulate relational verification as a Markov decision process (MDP) and use reinforcement learning to synthesize an optimal policy for the underlying MDP. The learned policy is then used to guide the search for a successful verification strategy. We have implemented this approach in a tool called Coeus and evaluate it on two benchmark suites. Our evaluation shows that Coeus solves significantly more problems within a given time limit compared to multiple baselines, including two state-of-the-art relational verification tools. CCS Concepts: • Software and its engineering → Software verification; • Theory of computation → Reinforcement learning.

Verifying Data Constraint Equivalence in FinTech Systems

“…One line of studies reduces equivalence checking to proving specific verification conditions, such as relational verification [29]- [34]. Similar approaches include using symbolic execution for loop-free programs [27], [35]- [38]. Different from the existing efforts that target sophisticated program constructs, EQDAC focuses on a domainspecific language in FinTech systems, pursuing efficiency over the capability of handling a flexible program syntax.…”

Analysis and Transformation of Constrained Horn Clauses for Program Verification

“…Several papers have advocated the formalization of relational verification problems in CHCs and the use of a CHC solver, possibly enhanced by ad hoc solving techniques (Chen et al 2019, De Angelis et al 20162018a, Felsing et al 2014, Mordvinov and Fedyukovich 2017, Shemer et al 2019, Zhou et al 2019.…”

Analysis and Transformation of Constrained Horn Clauses for Program Verification

“…Several papers have advocated the formalisation of relational verification problems in CHCs and the use of a CHC solver, possibly enhanced by ad hoc solving techniques (Chen et al 2019, De Angelis et al 2016, 2018a, Felsing et al 2014, Mordvinov and Fedyukovich 2017, Shemer et al 2019, Zhou et al 2019.…”