AMCFF-RL: An Adaptive Multi-Modal CAN Bus Fuzzing Framework Leveraging Deep Reinforcement Learning

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Authors: Manu Jo Varghese, Frank Jiang, Abdur Rakib, Robin Doss, Adnan Anwar
Cited by: 1
References: 31

Abstract

The increasing complexity and connectivity of modern vehicles have made automotive networks, particularly the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, vulnerable to cyberattacks. Fuzzing is a critical technique for proactively finding security weaknesses, but traditional methods are inefficient and struggle to scale with the complexity of modern vehicles. This paper introduces AMCFF-RL, an adaptive framework that uses Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) with multi-modal feature extraction to systematically analyse for vulnerabilities. Rather than relying on unguided or purely random fuzzing, AMCFF-RL integrates multi-modal feature extraction with DRL and advanced visualization, allowing it to learn and adapt its strategy based on real-time feedback from the network and thereby improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the fuzzing process. Comprehensive visualization tools serve a dual purpose: they offer human-interpretable insights while also generating rich feature representations that support the anomaly detection pipeline and the DRL agent.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) Autonomous Vehicle Technology and Safety Safety Systems Engineering in Autonomy

Publication details

Journal / source
IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Volume
7
Pages
612–625
Publication date
1 January 2026
Language
EN