A key internet security tool is getting buried in AI-generated bug reports

AI is helping secure one of the world's most widely used encryption libraries while simultaneously overwhelming the people responsible for maintaining it.Why it matters: The challenges facing OpenSSL, one of the better-funded open-source software projects, offer a glimpse into how AI is straining the maintainers of software that businesses rely on every day.Driving the news: OpenSSL received an average of 71 security reports and inquiries per month between May and July, up from just nine during the same period last year, OpenSSL Foundation executive director Matt Caswell said during the project's annual conference in Prague last week.That figure climbed to 108 inquiries in August, Caswell said.OpenSSL has received roughly 500 vulnerability reports over the past year. Just 63 resulted in disclosed vulnerabilities.Threat level: The stakes are particularly high for OpenSSL, whose software helps secure communications across the internet.In 2014, the Heartbleed vulnerability in OpenSSL allowed attackers to extract sensitive information from vulnerable servers, potentially including passwords and encryption keys. The incident demonstrated how a flaw in a single widely used open-source l…

≈