Private repository forks can lead to code leakage

Rule Details

Cortex AppSec Rule ID	APPSEC_CICD_157
Category	Data Protection
Severity	MEDIUM

Impact

Forking private repositories can compromise security as the fork destination may lack crucial security protocols such as 2FA or SAML authentication. This has a negative impact on security, and potentially, leaving code vulnerable to leakage.

Recommended Solution - Buildtime

Review and consider deleting forks if they are no longer necessary. You can achieve this by disabling forking.

As a rule, we recommend:

• Preventing forking of repositories at the organization level. For more information refer to https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/organizations/managing-organization-settings/managing-the-forking-policy-for-your-organization
• If the company policy allows forking repositories at the organization level, disable the forking of private repositories. For more information refer to https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/managing-repository-settings/managing-the-forking-policy-for-your-repository
• Restrict organization members from creating public repositories. To apply the restriction, refer to the following GitHub documentation: https://docs.github.com/en/organizations/managing-organization-settings/restricting-repository-creation-in-your-organization