| Description: |
Access control systems are often configured through formats that are
either difficult for humans to reason about or too limited to support
abstraction and composability. This thesis proposes the design of a
Domain-Specific Language (DSL) for expressing Access Control Lists
(ACLs) and authorization policies using a Lisp-inspired syntax based on
symbolic expressions (S-expressions).
The project would investigate how language-oriented programming
techniques can improve the readability, maintainability, and
verifiability of access control policies. By leveraging the homoiconic
structure of Lisp-like languages, the DSL could support macros,
higher-order abstractions, policy composition, and formal analysis. The
language may also enable easier static analysis and transformation of
policies compared to traditional configuration formats such as JSON or YAML.
Potential research directions include policy verification, conflict
detection, translation to existing access control frameworks, and the
use of interpreters or compilers to enforce security guarantees. The
thesis could culminate in the implementation of a parser, interpreter,
or compiler for the language, accompanied by case studies comparing the
DSL against conventional ACL systems used in operating systems, cloud
environments, or network infrastructure.
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