The BAUER GROUP Automation Templates repository is committed to maintaining the highest security standards for our enterprise automation infrastructure. This document outlines our security policies, procedures for reporting vulnerabilities, and best practices for contributors.

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it immediately through one of the following channels:

• Navigate to Security Advisories
• Click "Report a vulnerability"
• Provide detailed information using our template

• Email: support@bauer-group.com
• Subject: [SECURITY] Automation Templates Vulnerability Report

When reporting a vulnerability, please provide:

1. Description: Clear description of the vulnerability
2. Impact: Potential impact and attack scenarios
3. Reproduction: Step-by-step reproduction instructions
4. Affected Components: Specific workflows, actions, or configurations
5. Suggested Fix: If you have recommendations
6. Contact Information: Your preferred contact method

We actively maintain and provide security updates for supported versions:

• Current Version: Full feature and security support for the latest release (4.17.1)
• Previous Versions: No support provided - users should upgrade to the current version
• Security Updates: Only applied to the current version

• Branch Protection: main branch protected with required reviews
• Required Checks: All CI/CD security scans must pass
• Administrative Access: Limited to core maintainers
• Two-Factor Authentication: Required for all contributors

We implement multiple layers of automated security scanning:

# Gitleaks - Open Source Secrets Scanning
- name: 🔍 Secrets Scan (Gitleaks)
  uses: gitleaks/gitleaks-action@v2
  env:
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

# GitGuardian - Enterprise Secrets Detection
- name: 🛡️ Advanced Secrets Scan (GitGuardian)
  uses: GitGuardian/ggshield-action@v1
  with:
    api-key: ${{ secrets.GITGUARDIAN_API_KEY }}

# Security Advisories Check
- name: 📊 Security Advisory Scan
  uses: github/super-linter@v4
  env:
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    VALIDATE_GITHUB_ACTIONS: true

# CodeQL Analysis
- name: 🔍 CodeQL Analysis
  uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v2
  with:
    languages: javascript, yaml

All GitHub Actions are pinned to specific SHA hashes:

# ✅ Secure - Pinned to SHA
uses: actions/checkout@8ade135a41bc03ea155e62e844d188df1ea18608

# ❌ Insecure - Using mutable tag
uses: actions/checkout@v4

• Dependabot: Automated dependency updates with security patches
• Review Process: All dependency updates reviewed by maintainers
• Testing: Comprehensive testing before merging updates

All workflows follow the principle of least privilege:

permissions:
  contents: read        # Minimal read access
  security-events: write # Only for security scanning
  pull-requests: write   # Only when needed for PR actions

• Repository Secrets: For repository-specific configurations
• Organization Secrets: For shared enterprise resources
• Environment Secrets: For deployment-specific credentials

Following our Secrets Naming Convention:

<SCOPE>_<SERVICE>_<PURPOSE>_<FORMAT>

Examples:

• SECURITY_GITGUARDIAN_API_KEY - GitGuardian API key
• DOCKER_REGISTRY_PASSWORD - Docker registry authentication
• SIGNING_CERTIFICATE_BASE64 - Code signing certificate

All workflow inputs are validated and sanitized:

# Example: Secure input validation
- name: 🔍 Validate Input
  run: |
    # Sanitize user input
    INPUT=$(echo "${{ github.event.inputs.user_input }}" | tr -cd '[:alnum:]._-')
    if [[ ! "$INPUT" =~ ^[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+$ ]]; then
      echo "❌ Invalid input format"
      exit 1
    fi

1. Secret Exposure: Prevention of API keys, tokens, and credentials leakage
2. Code Injection: Protection against malicious code injection in workflows
3. Supply Chain Attacks: Verification of dependencies and actions
4. Unauthorized Access: Strong access controls and authentication
5. Data Exfiltration: Prevention of sensitive data leakage

1. Client-Side Security: Security of consuming repositories
2. Infrastructure Security: GitHub's infrastructure security
3. End-User Applications: Security of applications built using our templates
4. Third-Party Services: Security of external services integrated via our workflows

• Never commit secrets: Use environment variables and GitHub secrets
• Validate all inputs: Sanitize and validate workflow inputs
• Use pinned versions: Pin action versions to specific SHAs
• Minimal permissions: Request only necessary permissions
• Regular updates: Keep dependencies updated

• No hardcoded secrets or credentials
• Input validation implemented
• Permissions scoped appropriately
• Dependencies pinned to secure versions
• Error handling doesn't expose sensitive information
• Logging doesn't contain secrets

# ✅ Secure
- name: Secure Action Usage
  uses: actions/checkout@8ade135a41bc03ea155e62e844d188df1ea18608
  with:
    token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    fetch-depth: 1

# ❌ Insecure
- name: Insecure Action Usage
  uses: actions/checkout@main  # Mutable reference
  with:
    token: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}  # Overprivileged

# ✅ Secure environment handling
jobs:
  secure-job:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    environment: production  # Explicit environment
    steps:
      - name: Deploy with Environment Secrets
        run: echo "Deploying safely"
        env:
          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.PRODUCTION_API_KEY }}

• Review workflows: Understand what workflows do before using
• Secure secrets: Store secrets securely in GitHub secrets
• Regular updates: Keep automation templates updated
• Monitor usage: Regular audit of workflow usage and permissions

• Least privilege: Grant minimal necessary permissions
• Network security: Use secure connections and VPNs when required
• Audit logs: Regular review of workflow execution logs
• Incident response: Have a plan for security incidents

We implement comprehensive security monitoring:

1. Automated Scanning: Daily security scans on all workflows
2. Dependency Monitoring: Real-time alerts for vulnerable dependencies
3. Access Monitoring: Audit logs for all administrative actions
4. Performance Monitoring: Anomaly detection for unusual activity

We track and report on:

• Vulnerability Response Time: Average time to resolve security issues
• Scan Coverage: Percentage of code covered by security scans
• False Positive Rate: Accuracy of security scanning tools
• Compliance Score: Adherence to security best practices

• Secrets Naming Convention
• Contributing Guidelines
• Security-Focused Workflow Examples

• GitHub Security Best Practices
• OWASP DevSecOps Guidelines
• NIST Secure Software Development Framework
• CIS Controls

• Gitleaks: Open-source secrets detection
• GitGuardian: Enterprise secrets scanning
• Dependabot: Automated dependency updates
• CodeQL: Semantic code analysis
• Trivy: Container vulnerability scanning

• Security Reviews: Participate in security-focused code reviews
• Bug Bounty: Report vulnerabilities through our responsible disclosure program
• Security Discussions: Join our security-focused GitHub Discussions
• Training: Attend BAUER GROUP security training sessions

We recognize security contributors through:

• Security Hall of Fame: Public recognition for significant contributions
• Coordinated Disclosure: Professional handling of vulnerability reports
• Community Awards: Annual recognition for outstanding security contributions

• Primary: support@bauer-group.com
• Escalation: Available through support portal

This security policy is subject to BAUER GROUP's information security policies and applicable laws. By using this repository, you agree to follow these security guidelines and report any security issues responsibly.

Last Updated: 2026-02-11 17:14:52 UTC
Next Review: February 2027
Policy Version: 1.0.0
Repository Version: 4.17.1

🛡️ Security is everyone's responsibility. Thank you for helping keep our automation infrastructure secure!