Compiler bootstrapping is the process of using existing compilers to build new ones, creating a chain that traces back to hand-assembled machine code. Ken Thompson's "Trusting Trust" attack demonstrated how a malicious compiler could inject backdoors into all subsequent software, including other compilers, making detection nearly impossible. The stage0 project addresses this by providing a minimal, manually-verifiable bootstrap chain starting from ~380 bytes that can be toggled by hand, though even this approach can't eliminate risks from compromised firmware or hardware.
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