Google moves a Pixel modem DNS parser into Rust

Google described on 10 April how it integrated a Rust DNS parser into Pixel 10 modem firmware. Cellular services use DNS beyond ordinary web browsing, leaving the parser exposed to untrusted network data. The team selected the Hickory-proto library and added support needed for a bare-metal environment.

The account describes work to connect Rust code to an existing C and C++ build, not a wholesale rewrite of the modem. Google prioritised library maintenance and code quality over minimising the additional binary size. Moving this parser to a memory-safe language addresses a class of implementation defects in that component. It does not make every part of modem firmware memory-safe or rule out protocol and integration bugs.