Here at wolfSSL, the best defense has always been a proactive one. That principle is why we built Fenrir, our AI-powered codebase scanner, and why we’re talking about it today.
If We Don’t, They Will
The security landscape has changed. Attackers are already using large language models to analyze codebases, find vulnerabilities, and develop exploits faster than manual review can keep up with. OpenAI recently launched its own AI security researcher tool, OWASP has expanded its focus to generative AI security risks, and AI-driven supply chain attacks are becoming routine.
The reality is simple: if we don’t use AI to find vulnerabilities in our code, someone with worse intentions will. As a security company trusted in automotive, avionics, industrial control, and government, we have to stay ahead of that curve.
What Fenrir Does
Fenrir scans wolfSSL’s codebases using AI with the kind of contextual understanding that traditional static analysis tools lack. It looks at source code and reasons about intent, data flow, and security implications, not just pattern matching against known bug categories. It then reports findings to the wolfSSL engineering team. Fenrir assists our team, it doesn’t replace them.
We still use traditional tools like cppcheck and fuzzing, as well as many third party code analyzers. Fenrir adds a complementary layer that’s especially useful for the subtle, context-dependent issues that come up in cryptographic and protocol implementations: timing side-channels, TLS/DTLS handshake state machine edge cases, ASN.1 parsing, and error path handling in certificate validation.
Working With AI Vendors
Beyond building our own tools, we are also working directly with AI vendors who are using wolfSSL’s codebase to test and improve their AI security scanning capabilities. These collaborations give us early access to findings from cutting-edge models, and in return, our codebase helps those vendors validate and improve their vulnerability detection. It’s a two-way relationship that strengthens both sides.
Responsible Use
We want to be clear about how we use AI in our security processes. Fenrir scans our own code and generates reports for our engineers to review. It doesn’t automatically commit patches, it doesn’t replace our existing test infrastructure, and it doesn’t operate without human oversight. It’s one layer in a much broader QA process that includes unit tests, fuzzing, static analysis, and peer review.
Staying Ahead
AI tools for vulnerability discovery are becoming widely available and improving fast. Organizations that build these into their workflows now will be better positioned than those that wait. With Fenrir and our vendor partnerships, we’re making sure the wolves see the threats first.
If you have questions about wolfSSL’s security practices or want to discuss how wolfSSL can secure your project, contact us at facts@wolfssl.com or call us at +1 425 245 8247.
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