Claws: A Static Analysis Tool for Safer GitHub Actions Workflows

Claws is an open-source static analysis tool developed by Betterment to enhance the security and reliability of GitHub Actions workflows. Inspired by tools like RuboCop, Claws allows developers to define custom rules using simple Ruby classes and an expression language to detect undesirable patterns in workflows. These rules can be applied at various levels of a workflow, including the workflow, job, and step levels.

Key features of Claws include:

  • Custom Rule Definition: Developers can create rules using an expression language, enabling the detection of specific anti-patterns without writing complex logic.

  • Runtime Configurability: Rules can incorporate variables populated at runtime, allowing for flexible and dynamic analysis based on user-provided configurations.

  • Testing Support: Claws integrates with RSpec, providing helpers to write test cases that ensure rules function as intended and continue to detect known issues after modifications.

  • Easy Integration: Distributed as a Ruby Gem (claws-scan), Claws can be installed and integrated into existing CI/CD pipelines, facilitating automated analysis of workflow files.

Claws is particularly effective in identifying common security issues in GitHub Actions workflows, such as unpinned actions, excessive permissions, and potential code injection vulnerabilities. Its design emphasizes ease of use and extensibility, making it a valuable tool for teams aiming to enforce security best practices in their CI/CD processes.

For more information and to access the source code, visit the Claws GitHub repository: https://github.com/betterment/claws. 


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