Keep unsigned caches out of privileged workflows

Change-source: pulse-maintainer

.github/workflows/README.md

@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ be interpolated into the generated shell program. Outputs remain data even
 when an intermediate step parsed or validated them, because later substitution
 would turn their value back into shell source.
 
+Jobs that receive confidential repository secrets or a write-capable
+`GITHUB_TOKEN` do not restore or save caches. This includes setup-action
+dependency caches, direct Actions caches, and external BuildKit cache imports:
+cache contents are unsigned mutable build input, while provenance only records
+what the workflow produced. Read-only jobs may still cache locked dependencies;
+the intentionally public legacy license key is not treated as a confidential
+credential.
+
 Passing data through `env` does not make it safe to append to the runner's
 `GITHUB_OUTPUT`, `GITHUB_ENV`, `GITHUB_PATH`, or `GITHUB_STATE` command files.
 The audit follows workflow data and values read from the event payload through

.github/workflows/backfill-release-assets.yml

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Install Syft
         run: |

.github/workflows/build-release-candidate.yml

@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Build, sign, and notarize agent binaries
         shell: bash
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Build unsigned agent binaries
         shell: pwsh
@@ -705,14 +705,13 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Set up Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with:
           node-version: '24'
-          cache: 'npm'
-          cache-dependency-path: 'frontend-modern/package-lock.json'
+          package-manager-cache: false
 
       - name: Install release prerequisites
         run: |

.github/workflows/canonical-private-governance.yml

@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: repos/pulse/go.mod
-          cache: true
-          cache-dependency-path: repos/pulse/go.sum
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Stub embedded frontend assets for Go tests
         run: bash scripts/ensure_test_assets.sh

.github/workflows/compile-release-payload.yml

@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Build hosted qualification subjects
         env:

.github/workflows/create-release.yml

@@ -1323,7 +1323,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Install Syft
         run: |

.github/workflows/eval-model-matrix.yml

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Verify eval credentials are configured
         env:

.github/workflows/patrol-qualification-live.yml

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Validate qualification catalogue
         run: go run ./cmd/patrol-qualify -mode validate

.github/workflows/publish-docker.yml

@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ jobs:
           push: true
           provenance: mode=max
           sbom: true
-          cache-from: type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/pulse:buildcache
           tags: |
             rcourtman/pulse:${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
             rcourtman/pulse:${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
@@ -188,7 +187,6 @@ jobs:
           push: true
           provenance: mode=max
           sbom: true
-          cache-from: type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/pulse-control-plane:buildcache
           tags: |
             rcourtman/pulse-control-plane:${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
             rcourtman/pulse-control-plane:${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}

.github/workflows/release-dry-run.yml

@@ -246,8 +246,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with:
           node-version: '24'
-          cache: 'npm'
-          cache-dependency-path: 'frontend-modern/package-lock.json'
+          package-manager-cache: false
 
       - name: Install frontend dependencies
         run: npm --prefix frontend-modern ci
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Run backend tests
         # Serial package execution keeps non-race SLO tests meaningful on

.github/workflows/signpath-test-signing.yml

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
-          cache: true
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Verify isolated test-signing configuration
         shell: pwsh

.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml

@@ -243,8 +243,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with:
           node-version: '24'
-          cache: 'npm'
-          cache-dependency-path: tests/integration/package-lock.json
+          package-manager-cache: false
 
       - name: Install Playwright dependencies
         working-directory: tests/integration

.github/workflows/update-demo-server.yml

@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Wait for release assets
         if: inputs.verify_only != true

scripts/check_workflow_trust.py

@@ -97,6 +97,26 @@ SECRET_CONTEXT_RE = re.compile(
     r")"
 )
 SECRET_CONTEXT_TOKEN_RE = re.compile(r"(?<![\w.])secrets\b")
+CACHE_ACTION_PREFIXES = ("actions/cache@", "actions/cache/")
+SETUP_CACHE_ACTION_PREFIXES = (
+    "actions/setup-go@",
+    "actions/setup-node@",
+    "actions/setup-python@",
+    "gradle/actions/setup-gradle@",
+    "ruby/setup-ruby@",
+)
+AUTO_CACHE_DISABLE_INPUTS = {
+    "actions/setup-go@": "cache",
+    "actions/setup-node@": "package-manager-cache",
+}
+CACHE_INPUT_RE = re.compile(
+    rf"^\s*{_yaml_key('cache')}\s*:\s*(.*?)\s*$", re.IGNORECASE
+)
+EXTERNAL_CACHE_INPUT_RE = re.compile(
+    rf"^\s*(?:{_yaml_key('cache-from')}|{_yaml_key('cache-to')})\s*:",
+    re.IGNORECASE,
+)
+WRITE_PERMISSION_RE = re.compile(r"^\s+[A-Za-z-]+\s*:\s*write\s*$")
 # This value is intentionally public and only uses secret storage as a legacy
 # configuration mechanism. Confidential credentials have no PR exception.
 NON_CONFIDENTIAL_PULL_REQUEST_SECRETS = frozenset({"PULSE_LICENSE_PUBLIC_KEY"})
@@ -151,6 +171,41 @@ def _checkout_block(lines: list[str], uses_index: int) -> list[tuple[int, str]]:
     return block
 
 
+def _runner_job_ranges(lines: list[str]) -> list[tuple[int, int, int]]:
+    """Return (start, end, indent) for each locally executed workflow job."""
+    jobs_index = next(
+        (
+            index
+            for index, line in enumerate(lines)
+            if JOBS_RE.match(line.split("#", 1)[0])
+        ),
+        None,
+    )
+    if jobs_index is None:
+        return []
+
+    jobs_indent = _indent(lines[jobs_index])
+    job_starts: list[tuple[int, int]] = []
+    for index in range(jobs_index + 1, len(lines)):
+        code = lines[index].split("#", 1)[0]
+        if code.strip() and _indent(code) <= jobs_indent:
+            break
+        match = JOB_RE.match(code)
+        if match and len(match.group(1)) == jobs_indent + 2:
+            job_starts.append((index, len(match.group(1))))
+
+    return [
+        (
+            job_index,
+            job_starts[position + 1][0]
+            if position + 1 < len(job_starts)
+            else len(lines),
+            job_indent,
+        )
+        for position, (job_index, job_indent) in enumerate(job_starts)
+    ]
+
+
 def _run_script_lines(lines: list[str], run_index: int) -> list[tuple[int, str]]:
     """Return the source lines GitHub will materialize as a run script."""
     match = RUN_RE.match(lines[run_index])
@@ -328,6 +383,23 @@ def _is_untrusted_expression(value: str) -> bool:
     )
 
 
+def _has_confidential_secret_reference(lines: list[str]) -> bool:
+    """Return whether workflow lines can resolve a confidential secret."""
+    for line in lines:
+        for expression in EXPRESSION_RE.findall(line.split("#", 1)[0]):
+            static_references = list(SECRET_CONTEXT_RE.finditer(expression))
+            secret_names = {
+                match.group(1) or match.group(3) for match in static_references
+            }
+            if secret_names - NON_CONFIDENTIAL_PULL_REQUEST_SECRETS:
+                return True
+            if len(SECRET_CONTEXT_TOKEN_RE.findall(expression)) != len(
+                static_references
+            ):
+                return True
+    return False
+
+
 def _audit_command_file_data(
     path: Path,
     lines: list[str],
@@ -512,33 +584,7 @@ def _audit_workflow_run_trigger(path: Path, lines: list[str]) -> list[Finding]:
 def _audit_runner_job_timeouts(path: Path, lines: list[str]) -> list[Finding]:
     """Require each locally executed job to declare one bounded time budget."""
     findings: list[Finding] = []
-    jobs_index = next(
-        (
-            index
-            for index, line in enumerate(lines)
-            if JOBS_RE.match(line.split("#", 1)[0])
-        ),
-        None,
-    )
-    if jobs_index is None:
-        return findings
-
-    jobs_indent = _indent(lines[jobs_index])
-    job_starts: list[tuple[int, int]] = []
-    for index in range(jobs_index + 1, len(lines)):
-        code = lines[index].split("#", 1)[0]
-        if code.strip() and _indent(code) <= jobs_indent:
-            break
-        match = JOB_RE.match(code)
-        if match and len(match.group(1)) == jobs_indent + 2:
-            job_starts.append((index, len(match.group(1))))
-
-    for position, (job_index, job_indent) in enumerate(job_starts):
-        end_index = (
-            job_starts[position + 1][0]
-            if position + 1 < len(job_starts)
-            else len(lines)
-        )
+    for job_index, end_index, job_indent in _runner_job_ranges(lines):
         direct_indent = job_indent + 2
         runner_lines: list[int] = []
         timeout_declarations: list[tuple[int, str]] = []
@@ -580,9 +626,116 @@ def _audit_runner_job_timeouts(path: Path, lines: list[str]) -> list[Finding]:
     return findings
 
 
+def _audit_privileged_job_caches(path: Path, lines: list[str]) -> list[Finding]:
+    """Keep unsigned cache state out of credential- and write-capable jobs."""
+    findings: list[Finding] = []
+    top_level_write = any(
+        WRITE_PERMISSION_RE.match(line.split("#", 1)[0]) and _indent(line) == 2
+        for line in lines
+    )
+
+    for job_index, end_index, _ in _runner_job_ranges(lines):
+        job_lines = lines[job_index:end_index]
+        privileged = top_level_write or _has_confidential_secret_reference(
+            job_lines
+        ) or any(
+            WRITE_PERMISSION_RE.match(line.split("#", 1)[0])
+            for line in job_lines
+        )
+        if not privileged:
+            continue
+
+        for relative_index, line in enumerate(job_lines):
+            index = job_index + relative_index
+            code = line.split("#", 1)[0]
+            dependency_match = USES_RE.search(code)
+            if dependency_match:
+                dependency = dependency_match.group(1).strip("'\"").lower()
+                if dependency.startswith(CACHE_ACTION_PREFIXES):
+                    findings.append(
+                        Finding(
+                            path,
+                            index + 1,
+                            "credential- or write-capable jobs must not restore "
+                            "or save unsigned caches",
+                        )
+                    )
+                elif dependency.startswith(SETUP_CACHE_ACTION_PREFIXES):
+                    action_block = _checkout_block(lines, index)
+                    unsafe_cache_lines: list[int] = []
+                    for cache_index, cache_line in action_block:
+                        cache_match = CACHE_INPUT_RE.match(cache_line.split("#", 1)[0])
+                        if not cache_match:
+                            continue
+                        value = cache_match.group(1).strip().strip("'\"").lower()
+                        if value != "false":
+                            unsafe_cache_lines.append(cache_index)
+
+                    required_disable_input = next(
+                        (
+                            input_name
+                            for prefix, input_name in AUTO_CACHE_DISABLE_INPUTS.items()
+                            if dependency.startswith(prefix)
+                        ),
+                        None,
+                    )
+                    disable_declarations: list[tuple[int, str]] = []
+                    if required_disable_input:
+                        disable_re = re.compile(
+                            rf"^\s*{_yaml_key(required_disable_input)}\s*:\s*(.*?)\s*$",
+                            re.IGNORECASE,
+                        )
+                        for block_index, block_line in action_block:
+                            disable_match = disable_re.match(
+                                block_line.split("#", 1)[0]
+                            )
+                            if disable_match:
+                                disable_declarations.append(
+                                    (block_index, disable_match.group(1))
+                                )
+                    explicitly_disabled = (
+                        required_disable_input is None
+                        or (
+                            len(disable_declarations) == 1
+                            and disable_declarations[0][1]
+                            .strip()
+                            .strip("'\"")
+                            .lower()
+                            == "false"
+                        )
+                    )
+                    if unsafe_cache_lines or not explicitly_disabled:
+                        finding_index = (
+                            unsafe_cache_lines[0]
+                            if unsafe_cache_lines
+                            else index
+                        )
+                        findings.append(
+                            Finding(
+                                path,
+                                finding_index + 1,
+                                "credential- or write-capable jobs must explicitly "
+                                "disable setup-action caches",
+                            )
+                        )
+
+            if EXTERNAL_CACHE_INPUT_RE.match(code):
+                findings.append(
+                    Finding(
+                        path,
+                        index + 1,
+                        "credential- or write-capable jobs must not import or "
+                        "export external build caches",
+                    )
+                )
+
+    return findings
+
+
 def audit_workflow(path: Path) -> list[Finding]:
     lines = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8").splitlines()
     findings = _audit_runner_job_timeouts(path, lines)
+    findings.extend(_audit_privileged_job_caches(path, lines))
     findings.extend(_audit_workflow_run_trigger(path, lines))
     has_workflow_run_trigger = _has_trigger(lines, "workflow_run")
 
@@ -598,26 +751,7 @@ def audit_workflow(path: Path) -> list[Finding]:
 
     if _has_trigger(lines, "pull_request"):
         for index, line in enumerate(lines):
-            code = line.split("#", 1)[0]
-            expressions = EXPRESSION_RE.findall(code)
-            secret_names: set[str] = set()
-            has_unresolved_secret_reference = False
-            for expression in expressions:
-                static_references = list(SECRET_CONTEXT_RE.finditer(expression))
-                secret_names.update(
-                    match.group(1) or match.group(3) for match in static_references
-                )
-                if len(SECRET_CONTEXT_TOKEN_RE.findall(expression)) != len(
-                    static_references
-                ):
-                    # Whole-context and dynamic references can expose any
-                    # repository secret, so they cannot use the public-key
-                    # exception reserved for a statically named value.
-                    has_unresolved_secret_reference = True
-            if (
-                secret_names - NON_CONFIDENTIAL_PULL_REQUEST_SECRETS
-                or has_unresolved_secret_reference
-            ):
+            if _has_confidential_secret_reference([line]):
                 findings.append(
                     Finding(
                         path,

scripts/tests/test_workflow_trust.py

@@ -366,6 +366,92 @@ jobs:
         )
         self.assertEqual(findings, [])
 
+    def test_privileged_jobs_cannot_consume_unsigned_caches(self) -> None:
+        findings = self.audit(
+            f"""permissions:
+  contents: read
+jobs:
+  secret_job:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-go@{PIN}
+        with:
+          cache: true
+      - uses: actions/cache/restore@{PIN}
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache
+          key: privileged
+      - env:
+          SIGNING_TOKEN: ${{{{ secrets.SIGNING_TOKEN }}}}
+        run: echo signed
+  publisher:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    permissions:
+      packages: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: docker/build-push-action@{PIN}
+        with:
+          cache-from: type=registry,ref=example.invalid/cache
+          cache-to: type=registry,ref=example.invalid/cache
+"""
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            sum("credential- or write-capable jobs" in finding for finding in findings),
+            4,
+        )
+
+    def test_read_only_jobs_can_cache_and_privileged_jobs_can_disable_cache(self) -> None:
+        findings = self.audit(
+            f"""permissions:
+  contents: read
+jobs:
+  read_only:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/cache@{PIN}
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache
+          key: read-only
+  privileged:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-go@{PIN}
+        with:
+          cache: false
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@{PIN}
+        with:
+          package-manager-cache: false
+      - env:
+          SIGNING_TOKEN: ${{{{ secrets.SIGNING_TOKEN }}}}
+        run: echo signed
+"""
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(findings, [])
+
+    def test_privileged_setup_actions_must_disable_automatic_caching(self) -> None:
+        findings = self.audit(
+            f"""permissions: {{}}
+jobs:
+  privileged:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-go@{PIN}
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@{PIN}
+      - env:
+          SIGNING_TOKEN: ${{{{ secrets.SIGNING_TOKEN }}}}
+        run: echo signed
+"""
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            sum("explicitly disable setup-action caches" in finding for finding in findings),
+            2,
+        )
+
     def test_rejects_shell_template_data_but_accepts_env_data(self) -> None:
         findings = self.audit(
             """permissions: {}