Google’s decision to include Rust support in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is paying off with less vulnerabilities.

Rust is a relatively new programming language, one that places an emphasis on memory safety, security, and performance. Google made the decision to support Rust in Android in early 2021, a decision that is already paying off.

According to 9to5Google, Google says there has been a considerable drop in the number of memory safety vulnerabilities, going from 223 in 2019 to 85 in 2022. Such vulnerabilities now comprise just 35% of known vulnerabilities in Android, as opposed to 76% four years ago. As a result, Google says “2022 is the first year where memory safety vulnerabilities do not represent a majority of Android’s vulnerabilities.”

Rust has been gaining traction because of its memory safety features. The NSA recently advocated for the use of Rust and similar languages in an effort to cut down on software vulnerabilities. Similarly, the language has been added to the Linux kernel, making it only the second language supported, behind C.