# How Security is Handled in Codebase-Memory-MCP: VirusTotal, SLSA Level 3, and Signature Verification

> Discover how Codebase-Memory-MCP secures your software with SLSA Level 3, VirusTotal scanning, and signature verification for robust protection against threats.

- Repository: [Martin Vogel/codebase-memory-mcp](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp)
- Tags: security-overview
- Published: 2026-07-13

---

**Codebase-Memory-MCP implements a comprehensive multi-layered security pipeline that combines SLSA Level 3 build provenance, Sigstore cosign keyless signatures, SHA-256 checksums, and mandatory VirusTotal scanning across 70+ antivirus engines before any binary release.**

The DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp repository protects its supply chain through cryptographic attestation and automated malware detection. Understanding how security is handled in Codebase-Memory-MCP ensures that the binaries you install match exactly what was built from the source code, free from tampering or malicious injection.

## Build Provenance and SLSA Level 3 Attestation

Every release archive is generated inside a **trusted GitHub Actions workflow** defined in [`.github/workflows/_build.yml`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/.github/workflows/_build.yml). This workflow produces a cryptographic **SLSA Level 3** attestation that binds the binary to the specific source code and build environment.

You can verify this provenance using the GitHub CLI:

```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

```

The verification confirms that the artifact was produced from the exact source in the repository and not from a compromised fork or local build.

## Keyless Code Signing with Sigstore Cosign

All release artifacts are signed using **Sigstore cosign** keyless signatures. Unlike traditional GPG signing that requires long-lived private keys, this approach uses ephemeral certificates bound to the GitHub Actions identity.

Each release includes a signature bundle file (`.bundle`) alongside the archive. Verify the signature without managing keys:

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

```

The signature bundle is published in the GitHub release assets, allowing anyone to validate authenticity independently.

## SHA-256 Checksum Verification

A [`checksums.txt`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/checksums.txt) file is generated for every release, containing cryptographic hashes of all distributed binaries. The [`scripts/setup.sh`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/scripts/setup.sh) install script automatically validates these checksums before extraction, preventing the installation of tampered files.

Manual verification follows standard practices:

```bash
sha256sum -c checksums.txt

```

If the checksums match, you can be confident the files were not corrupted or modified during transit.

## VirusTotal Malware Scanning

Before any draft release is promoted to public availability, the binary is uploaded to **VirusTotal** and scanned by over **70 antivirus engines**. Any detection blocks the release pipeline entirely. Results are published in the release notes and summarized in [`SECURITY.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md).

### Scan Results for v0.7.0 Release

The following SHA-256 hashes represent the v0.7.0 release artifacts, all showing **0/72 detections**:

- **Linux amd64**: `8e12bb2d6ead7f20a6d3bf2be1e51f978c38acce810f0734f510d134b039d152` ([View Report](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/8e12bb2d6ead7f20a6d3bf2be1e51f978c38acce810f0734f510d134b039d152/detection))
- **Linux arm64**: `10f7136bfbf3950c6b2a1a950bbf85e88b97ee55ab00b4dfbc2a5e9c2ede8672` ([View Report](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/10f7136bfbf3950c6b2a1a950bbf85e88b97ee55ab00b4dfbc2a5e9c2ede8672/detection))
- **macOS arm64**: `7062a7408906344bf4f835e9580048af85d12dd2b7cec0edf869df93ad9a0592` ([View Report](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/7062a7408906344bf4f835e9580048af85d12dd2b7cec0edf869df93ad9a0592/detection))
- **macOS amd64**: `28c6d640e1a0ac7bfcab5094c2186eced5264a20dcdffcb4455a1b28c5df2171` ([View Report](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/28c6d640e1a0ac7bfcab5094c2186eced5264a20dcdffcb4455a1b28c5df2171/detection))
- **Windows amd64**: `9c3ddcf78368fd4fa89156a553641bf1e03640b4fb6dd29a12c84aa5bc98cd86` ([View Report](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/9c3ddcf78368fd4fa89156a553641bf1e03640b4fb6dd29a12c84aa5bc98cd86/detection))

These results demonstrate that the binaries are free from known malware signatures across all major detection engines.

## Continuous Security Monitoring

The repository maintains security through automated static analysis and a comprehensive audit suite that runs during every CI build.

### CodeQL Static Analysis

**CodeQL** SAST (Static Application Security Testing) runs on every push to the repository. Any open security alerts block the release pipeline, ensuring vulnerabilities are addressed before distribution.

### 8-Layer Security Audit Suite

During CI, each build undergoes validation through eight distinct security checks:

1. **Static allow-list verification** – Ensures only approved dependencies and commands are present
2. **Binary string checks** – Scans for suspicious embedded strings or patterns
3. **Network egress monitoring** – Validates that the binary only performs expected network calls
4. **Install-path validation** – Confirms safe installation directory permissions
5. **Smoke-test hardening** – Verifies functionality without exposing attack surfaces
6. **UI domain checks** – Validates safe handling of user interface interactions
7. **MCP robustness testing** – Ensures the Model Context Protocol implementation handles edge cases securely
8. **Vendored-dependency integrity verification** – Confirms third-party code matches expected checksums

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 minimal attack surface. It runs **locally without telemetry** and performs only a non-blocking update check to GitHub for newer releases. All external network interactions are bounded with timeouts (e.g., `curl --max-time 5`), preventing hanging connections or data exfiltration attempts.

The [`scripts/license-gate-check.py`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/scripts/license-gate-check.py) utility further enforces security by validating that the binary's license and checksum match expectations before allowing installation to proceed.

## Summary

Codebase-Memory-MCP implements defense-in-depth security through:

- **SLSA Level 3** build provenance verified via `gh attestation verify`
- **Sigstore cosign** keyless signatures for artifact authenticity
- **SHA-256 checksums** validated in [`checksums.txt`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/checksums.txt) and [`scripts/setup.sh`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/scripts/setup.sh)
- **VirusTotal scanning** across 70+ engines (0 detections required for release)
- **CodeQL** static analysis blocking releases with open vulnerabilities
- **8-layer security audit** covering static analysis, binary inspection, and dependency verification
- **Runtime safeguards** including local-only execution and bounded network timeouts

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I verify the SLSA provenance of a downloaded binary?

Use the GitHub CLI to verify that the artifact was built from the trusted workflow in the official repository:

```bash
gh attestation verify <file> --repo DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp \
  --signer-workflow DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/.github/workflows/_build.yml

```

This command confirms the binary matches the exact source code and build environment recorded in the attestation.

### Why does the repository use VirusTotal scanning before release?

VirusTotal aggregates results from over 70 antivirus engines. By requiring zero detections before promoting a release from draft to public, the maintainers ensure the binaries are free from known malware signatures and false positives that could indicate supply chain compromise.

### What is the 8-layer security audit suite?

The 8-layer audit is a comprehensive CI validation process that checks static allow-lists, binary strings, network egress, install paths, smoke tests, UI domains, MCP protocol robustness, and vendored dependency integrity. This suite is defined in [`SECURITY.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md) and runs automatically on every build.

### Where can I find the security policy and audit details?

The complete security policy, including VirusTotal scan results, SLSA verification instructions, and details of the 8-layer audit suite, is documented in [`SECURITY.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md) at the repository root. The [`README.md`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/README.md) also contains badges and quick-reference verification commands in the *Security & Trust* section.