Cerberus Security Extension

Cerberus is an AI-powered security co-pilot for Visual Studio Code that doesn't just find vulnerabilities - it fixes them. By leveraging an orchestration of AI agents (Auditor, Syntax Checker, and Patcher) operating through an n8n workflow, Cerberus injects secure, clean alternative code directly into your files naturally.

Core Features

1. Auto-Patch Engine: Cerberus can autonomously loop through your file and inject repairs line-by-line until the entire document is clean.
2. Real-time Active Typing Analysis: Cerberus invisibly analyzes snippets of code as you type, instantly notifying you if you introduce a new vulnerability without requiring manual scans.
3. Line-Based UI Injections: Clicking Apply Fix cleanly swaps out your vulnerable code blocks for fixed variations right inside your editor natively.
4. Agentic Orchestration: Relies on an advanced n8n workflow pipeline that verifies syntax, checks for security regressions, and validates patches before presenting them.

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Setup & Installation

To run Cerberus successfully, you need to set up three components: the VSCode Extension, the Node.js Relay Server, and the AI Pipeline (n8n).

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+)
• Visual Studio Code
• n8n (for the orchestration workflow)
• Python 3.8+ (with bandit installed globally for local scanning)

1. Configure the n8n Workflow

1. Open your n8n instance.
2. Import the included n8n/Workflow.json file to create the Cerberus orchestration pipeline.
3. Activate the workflow and note the Webhook URL that n8n generates.
4. Ensure your LLM provider (e.g., Google Vertex AI, Gemini, or Ollama) credentials are set within the n8n instance.

2. Set Up the Relay Server

The extension communicates with a Node.js Express server that relays requests to n8n and manages snippet processing.

For macOS and Linux:

# Clone the repository and install dependencies
git clone https://github.com/Unknown-Geek/Mini-Project-Cerberus.git
cd Mini-Project-Cerberus
npm install

# Copy the environment file template
cp .env.example .env

For Windows (PowerShell):

# Clone the repository and install dependencies
git clone https://github.com/Unknown-Geek/Mini-Project-Cerberus.git
cd Mini-Project-Cerberus
npm install

# Copy the environment file template
Copy-Item .env.example -Destination .env

Update your .env file to include your active n8n Webhook URL. Example:

N8N_WEBHOOK_URL=http://your-n8n-instance-url/webhook/analyze

Start the server:

npm run server:start

(By default, the server runs on http://localhost:5000)

3. Install the VSCode Extension

If you simply want to use the extension, you can install the pre-packaged .vsix file right away:

# Install the extension into VSCode
code --install-extension cerberus-latest.vsix

Alternatively, you can build and package it yourself:

npm run compile
npx @vscode/vsce package -o cerberus-latest.vsix
code --install-extension cerberus-latest.vsix

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Usage Instructions

Once installed, open the Cerberus panel located in your VSCode Activity Bar (look for the Shield icon).

• Global Scan: Open any Python file and click the Scan button $(search) on the top title bar of the Cerberus side panel. Wait a few seconds for the scan to populate the internal model tree.
• Applying a Fix: Locate any flagged vulnerability in the tree view that contains the wrench icon $(wrench). Click it to accept the suggested structural changes and instantly overwrite your vulnerable code block with a secure alternative.
• Automatic Remediation: Click the Magic Wand icon $(wand) to let Cerberus automatically apply every available patch across an entire file. It will continuously re-scan and apply patches until the file reaches 0 vulnerabilities (limited to 3 safety loops).
• Real-Time Scanning: Click the Play icon $(play) to activate real-time monitoring. Cerberus will package recent code modifications via debouncing and continuously verify them silently in the background. Stop by clicking $(debug-stop).

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Configuration

You can configure Cerberus directly in your VSCode settings (settings.json):

• cerberus.backendUrl: The URL of your relay server.
  • Default: http://localhost:5000

Hugging Face Spaces Deployment

If you deployed to HF Spaces (https://huggingface.co/spaces/YOUR-USERNAME/Cerberus), configure these environment variables in your Space settings instead of the .env file:

Required secrets:

• N8N_WEBHOOK_URL (your n8n webhook)
• N8N_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (120)
• PORT (7860)

Then configure your VS Code extension: Go to Settings > Cerberus: Backend Url and set it to https://YOUR-USERNAME-cerberus.hf.space

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Troubleshooting

If you observe an $(error) label in your Cerberus state tree, your backend webhook or connection dropped.

• Ensure the Node.js relay server is running (npm run server:start).
• Verify that your n8n workflow is Active and the Webhook URL in your .env matches.
• If using real-time scanning, ensure your LLM provider isn't rate-limiting your requests.