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

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. 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:

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:

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 file is generated for every release, containing cryptographic hashes of all distributed binaries. The scripts/setup.sh install script automatically validates these checksums before extraction, preventing the installation of tampered files.

Manual verification follows standard practices:

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.

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)
• Linux arm64: 10f7136bfbf3950c6b2a1a950bbf85e88b97ee55ab00b4dfbc2a5e9c2ede8672 (View Report)
• macOS arm64: 7062a7408906344bf4f835e9580048af85d12dd2b7cec0edf869df93ad9a0592 (View Report)
• macOS amd64: 28c6d640e1a0ac7bfcab5094c2186eced5264a20dcdffcb4455a1b28c5df2171 (View Report)
• Windows amd64: 9c3ddcf78368fd4fa89156a553641bf1e03640b4fb6dd29a12c84aa5bc98cd86 (View Report)

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.

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 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 and 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:

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 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 at the repository root. The README.md also contains badges and quick-reference verification commands in the Security & Trust section.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}