wolfSSL releases a new product; wolfCOSE a zero alloc C embbedded COSE stack
Recorded: May 30, 2026, 10:02 p.m.
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GitHub - wolfSSL/wolfCOSE: A fast, portable, and lightweight COSE + CBOR implementation for embedded systems. Supports PQC, FIPS 140-3, DO-178, and MISRA C. Powered by wolfSSL. · GitHub Skip to content Navigation Menu Toggle navigation
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mainBranchesTagsGo to fileCodeOpen more actions menuFolders and filesNameNameLast commit messageLast commit dateLatest commit History103 Commits103 Commits.github/workflows.github/workflows docsdocs examplesexamples include/wolfcoseinclude/wolfcose scriptsscripts srcsrc teststests toolstools .gitignore.gitignore MakefileMakefile README.mdREADME.md View all filesRepository files navigationREADMEwolfCOSE Complete RFC 9052 message set: all six COSE message types, including multi-signer COSE_Sign and multi-recipient COSE_Encrypt / COSE_Mac Supported Algorithms Message COSE_Sign1 COSE_Sign COSE_Encrypt0 COSE_Encrypt COSE_Mac0 COSE_Mac COSE_Key / COSE_KeySet Prerequisites (wolfSSL) # Run unit tests # Build and run CLI tool round-trip tests (all algorithms) # Run lifecycle demo (11 algorithms) Target make all make shared make test make tool make tool-test make demo make clean Quick Start sign1_demo.c, encrypt0_demo.c, mac0_demo.c: algorithm demos CI / Testing Build + Test: Ubuntu, macOS, GCC 10-14, Clang 14-18 make coverage # Run tests with gcov
Documentation Getting Started: Build instructions and first steps Blogs Note: While wolfCOSE is currently maintained by wolfSSL developers, it is not yet classified as an officially supported product. It was designed from the ground up to meet the same quality standards as the rest of the wolfSSL suite with future adoption in mind. We are eager to transition this to a fully supported product as demand grows; if your organization requires official support or has specific feature requirements or you just have general questions or guidance with product, please reach out. For commercial licensing, professional support contracts, or to discuss moving wolfCOSE into your production environment, contact wolfSSL. About A fast, portable, and lightweight COSE + CBOR implementation for embedded systems. Supports PQC, FIPS 140-3, DO-178, and MISRA C. Powered by wolfSSL. www.wolfssl.com/ Topics c iot cryptography embedded embedded-systems cbor fips iot-security post-quantum wolfssl cose pqcrypto pqc misra-c quantum-resistant rfc-8949 fips-140-3 rfc-9052 no-dynamic-allocations mldsa Resources Readme Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page. Activity Custom properties 13 1 3 Report repository Contributors Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page. Languages C Other
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wolfCOSE is a lightweight C library designed for embedded systems that provides an implementation of the CBOR standard (RFC 8949) coupled with the COSE messaging protocol (RFC 9052/9053), utilizing wolfSSL as its underlying cryptographic backend. The core philosophy of wolfCOSE is to deliver high-security cryptographic functionality in a portable and minimal footprint suitable for constrained environments, supporting stringent security requirements such as FIPS 140-3, DO-178, and MISRA C compliance. The library achieves this goal through a design principle emphasizing zero dynamic allocation for all operations, ensuring efficiency and predictability. The implementation encompasses the complete set of COSE message types defined in RFC 9052, covering both single-actor and multi-actor scenarios. This includes functions for single-signer signatures (COSE_Sign1), multi-signer signatures (COSE_Sign), single-recipient authenticated encryption (COSE_Encrypt0), multi-recipient encryption methods leveraging direct, AES Key Wrap, or ECDH-ES key distribution (COSE_Encrypt), single-recipient message authentication codes (COSE_Mac0), and multi-recipient MAC functionality (COSE_Mac). Furthermore, it provides mechanisms for key serialization and encoding through COSE_Key and COSE_KeySet. Cryptographically, wolfCOSE supports a broad spectrum of algorithms across signing, encryption, MAC, and key distribution. This includes established schemes like ES256, ES384, ES512, EdDSA, PS256/384/512, and AEAD modes such as AES-GCM and ChaCha20-Poly1305, alongside post-quantum capabilities via ML-DSA (Dilithium) at various security levels. The library is engineered to support forty distinct algorithms in total. The library's reliance on wolfSSL dictates a specific prerequisite: the minimum supported version is v5.8.0-stable, particularly noting the introduction of context-aware APIs for Post-Quantum cryptography within wolfSSL. The build process is configurable based on required features. A minimal build focuses on ECC and AES-GCM operations, supporting COSE Sign1 and Encrypt0. A post-quantum focused build allows for the implementation of ML-DSA algorithms, while a full build enables all supported algorithms. The project provides a comprehensive set of build targets, including specific configurations for the core library, shared libraries, unit tests, and command-line tools. These targets facilitate the execution of round-trip tests across all supported algorithms and a full lifecycle demonstration. The testing methodology is highly rigorous, incorporating continuous integration processes that enforce static analysis using tools like cppcheck and Clang analyzer, adherence to MISRA C standards across all code paths (C:2012 and C:2023), and advanced defect analysis through tools like Coverity Scan. This systematic approach ensures high code coverage, evidenced by results up to 100% for the core code modules. Ultimately, the wolfCOSE implementation is positioned as a fast, portable, and lightweight solution for cryptographic operations in embedded systems, balancing advanced security features—including post-quantum cryptography and FIPS 140-3 considerations—with the constraints of resource-limited hardware. wolfCOSE is provided under the GPLv3 license, and while currently developed by wolfSSL, the project aims for future adoption within the broader wolfSSL ecosystem. |