# Security Measures in codebase-memory-mcp: VirusTotal, SLSA Level 3, and Sigstore Signatures Explained

> Secure your codebase with VirusTotal, SLSA Level 3, and Sigstore signatures in codebase-memory-mcp. Learn about our robust seven-layer security pipeline and ensure binary integrity and authenticity.

- Repository: [Martin Vogel/codebase-memory-mcp](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp)
- Tags: security-measures
- Published: 2026-07-11

---

**codebase-memory-mcp implements a seven-layer security pipeline including SLSA Level 3 provenance, Sigstore cosign signatures, VirusTotal scans across 70+ engines, and SHA-256 checksum verification to ensure binary integrity and authenticity.**

The `codebase-memory-mcp` repository by DeusData adopts a comprehensive security framework that protects both the build process and distributed binaries. This MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for codebase memory implements cryptographic provenance, automated malware scanning, and multi-factor verification to guarantee that every release is authentic and untampered.

## Build-Time Provenance with SLSA Level 3 Attestation

Every release archive is generated inside a trusted GitHub Actions workflow that produces a cryptographic **SLSA Level 3** attestation. According to [`SECURITY.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md), this provenance ensures the binary was built from the exact source code in the repository without tampering. The trusted workflow file [`.github/workflows/_build.yml`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/.github/workflows/_build.yml) acts as the secure builder for all releases.

### Verifying SLSA Provenance

Users can verify the attestation using the GitHub CLI to confirm the binary originated from the official build workflow:

```bash
gh attestation verify codebase-memory-mcp-linux-amd64.tar.gz \
  --repo DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp \
  --signer-workflow DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/.github/workflows/_build.yml

```

## Sigstore Cosign Signatures for Keyless Verification

All release artifacts are signed keylessly using **Sigstore's cosign**. The signature bundle is published alongside each release artifact, allowing validation without managing private keys. As documented in the *Security* table of [`README.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/README.md), this provides transparent, public-key infrastructure for artifact authentication.

### Verifying Cosign Signatures

To validate the signature bundle against the downloaded archive:

```bash
cosign verify-blob --bundle codebase-memory-mcp-linux-amd64.tar.gz.bundle \
  codebase-memory-mcp-linux-amd64.tar.gz

```

## VirusTotal Scanning Across 70+ Antivirus Engines

Before any draft release is promoted to public, binaries undergo mandatory **VirusTotal** scanning. The [`SECURITY.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md) file confirms that detection from any of the 70+ antivirus engines blocks the release pipeline. Scan results are published in release notes with specific file hashes showing **0/72 detections** for all platforms.

### Platform-Specific Scan Results

The repository provides direct links to VirusTotal results for each platform (v0.7.0 example):

- **Linux amd64**: 0/72 detections
- **Linux arm64**: 0/72 detections  
- **macOS arm64**: 0/72 detections
- **macOS amd64**: 0/72 detections
- **Windows amd64**: 0/72 detections

Users can verify scans manually by visiting `https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/<file-hash>/detection` with the appropriate SHA-256 hash.

## SHA-256 Checksums and Install Verification

A [`checksums.txt`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/checksums.txt) file is generated for every release. The [`scripts/setup.sh`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/scripts/setup.sh) install script automatically validates these checksums before extraction, while [`scripts/license-gate-check.py`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/scripts/license-gate-check.py) performs additional validation to ensure license and checksum integrity match expectations.

### Manual Checksum Verification

```bash
sha256sum -c checksums.txt

```

This protects against tampered downloads by ensuring the file hash matches the cryptographically signed release.

## Static Analysis and Security Auditing

The repository implements continuous security scanning through **CodeQL** static analysis (SAST) on every push. Any open alerts block the release pipeline. Additionally, an **8-layer security audit suite** runs during CI covering:

- Static allow-list validation
- Binary string checks
- Network egress monitoring
- Install-path validation
- Smoke-test hardening
- UI domain checks
- MCP robustness testing
- Vendored-dependency integrity verification

These measures are detailed in the *Security Measures* section of [`SECURITY.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md).

## Runtime Security Safeguards

The distributed binary operates with privacy-first defaults: **no telemetry** is collected. The application only performs a non-blocking update check to GitHub with bounded timeouts (`curl --max-time 5`), ensuring minimal external exposure while maintaining security patch awareness.

## Summary

- **SLSA Level 3** provenance ensures builds originate from trusted GitHub Actions workflows defined in [`.github/workflows/_build.yml`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/.github/workflows/_build.yml)
- **Sigstore cosign** provides keyless cryptographic signatures for all release artifacts
- **VirusTotal** scans across 70+ engines block releases containing potential malware
- **SHA-256 checksums** in [`checksums.txt`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/checksums.txt) enable integrity verification before installation
- **CodeQL** static analysis and an 8-layer security audit suite prevent vulnerable code from reaching releases
- **Runtime safeguards** ensure local execution without telemetry or unbounded network access

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I verify that a codebase-memory-mcp binary is authentic?

Verify authenticity through three independent checks: run `gh attestation verify` to confirm SLSA Level 3 provenance from the trusted workflow, use `cosign verify-blob` to validate the Sigstore signature bundle, and check `sha256sum -c checksums.txt` to ensure file integrity. All three validations must pass to confirm the binary was built from the official source and has not been tampered with.

### What happens if VirusTotal detects malware in a codebase-memory-mcp release?

If any of the 70+ antivirus engines on VirusTotal report a detection, the release pipeline automatically blocks promotion from draft to public status. This prevents compromised binaries from reaching users, and the security team investigates the detection before any release proceeds.

### Does codebase-memory-mcp collect telemetry or phone home during runtime?

No. The binary runs locally without collecting telemetry. It only performs a non-blocking check for newer releases via GitHub's API with a strict 5-second timeout (`curl --max-time 5`), ensuring users remain informed of security updates without sacrificing privacy.

### What is the 8-layer security audit suite in codebase-memory-mcp?

The 8-layer audit suite runs during continuous integration and includes static allow-list checks, binary string validation, network egress monitoring, install-path verification, smoke-test hardening, UI domain validation, MCP robustness testing, and vendored-dependency integrity checks. This comprehensive scanning ensures release artifacts meet strict security standards before publication.