Day Two DevOps D2DO277: AI Security Submissions at Curl Dev
Jul 16, 2025
Daniel Stenberg, creator of the widely-used open source tool curl, shares the journey of curl from a simple script to a critical data transfer solution. He discusses the integration of AI in security reporting, emphasizing its potential benefits and challenges. Daniel highlights the double-edged sword of AI-generated bug reports, stressing the need for human oversight to ensure quality and accuracy. The nuances of AI's role in navigating security issues reveal its limitations, likening it to a junior assistant requiring expert guidance.
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Origins and Growth of Curl
- Daniel Stenberg created curl in 1996 to download currency rates for his IRC bot.
- It evolved from a simple HTTP tool into a multi-protocol client named curl in 1998, growing to 180,000 lines of code today.
Libcurl's Massive Footprint
- The libcurl library is embedded in countless devices and applications globally.
- While millions use the command line tool, the library's footprint is exponentially larger across platforms and devices.
Responsibility and Quality in Curl Development
- Daniel feels responsible for curl's quality as its sole full-time maintainer.
- He believes careful engineering and gradual development reduce risks like security flaws.