A thin, brittle layer bonded between tougher substrates is susceptible to cracking under residual and applied stresses. Such a crack initiates from an equi-axed flaw, confined by the substrates, tunneling in the brittle layer. Although tunneling is a three-dimensional process, the energy release rate at the front of a steady-state tunnel can be computed using plane strain fields. Several technically important problems are analyzed, including tunnels in adhesive joints, shear fracture, and kinked tunnels in a reaction product layer. The concept is finally applied to microcracking in brittle matrix composites caused by thermal expansion mismatch.