Add explicit permissions to GitHub Actions workflows

[Copilot]

Adding explicit permissions to GitHub Actions workflow files

Plan:

• Explore repository structure and understand workflow files
• Analyze nodejs.yml workflow requirements
• Analyze publish.yml workflow requirements
• Add permissions block to nodejs.yml (contents: read at workflow level)
• Add permissions block to publish.yml (contents: read at workflow level)
• Validate YAML syntax
• Fix CI build failures by upgrading Node.js to version 20.x
• Run security scan (0 alerts found)

Summary:

Successfully added explicit permissions: blocks to both workflow files following the principle of least privilege:

Changes Made:

• .github/workflows/nodejs.yml:
  • Added contents: read permission at workflow level
  • Upgraded Node.js from 12.x to 20.x (latest LTS) to fix macOS ARM64 compatibility issues
• .github/workflows/publish.yml: Added contents: read permission at workflow level

Permissions Analysis:

Both workflows only require:

• contents: read - For the actions/checkout action to clone the repository

The publish workflow uses NODE_AUTH_TOKEN secret for NPM publishing, which doesn't require any GitHub repository permissions.

CI Fix:

The Node CI workflow was failing because Node.js 14 is not available on macOS ARM64 runners (End of Life since April 2023). Upgraded to Node.js 20.x (LTS) which has ARM64 support and active security maintenance.

Validation:

✅ YAML syntax validated successfully
✅ Security scan passed (0 alerts)
✅ Build and lint passed with Node.js 20.x
✅ Minimal changes - only added necessary permissions blocks and fixed Node version
✅ Follows principle of least privilege

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Please define actions workflow permissions</issue_title>
<issue_description>## Workflow permissions improvement

There are 2 workflow files that are currently lacking explicit permissions

Affected Workflow Files

The following workflow files need permissions to be explicitly defined:

• .github/workflows/nodejs.yml
• .github/workflows/publish.yml

Request

Ensure permissions are explicitly defined. Below are Copilot prompts/instructions if you would like Copilot's assistance with addressing this.

GitHub Copilot Assignment Prompts and Context

Task: Add explicit permissions to GitHub Actions workflow files that are currently missing them.

Scope: Update the workflow files listed above to include appropriate permissions: blocks.

Analysis Methodology:

1. Gather Current State: Check if the workflow has any existing permissions defined
2. Inventory Workflow Actions:
   • Actions performed directly by the workflow
   • API calls made by the workflow
   • External actions included via uses: statements
3. Determine Required Permissions: Map each action to its minimum required permissions
4. Synthesize Minimal Permissions: Create permissions block with only necessary permissions

Requirements:

1. Add a permissions: block to each workflow file that doesn't have one
2. Start with contents: read as the minimum permission
3. Add additional permissions only if the workflow actually needs them based on the actions it performs
4. Place the permissions: block at the job level or workflow level as appropriate
5. Ensure the syntax is correct and follows YAML formatting
6. Maintain existing content formatting, including indentation and comments

Files to modify: See the list of affected workflow files above.

Acceptance criteria:

• All listed workflow files have explicit permissions defined
• Permissions follow the principle of least privilege
• YAML syntax is valid
• Workflows still function correctly after changes

Copilot Instructions:

Please create a pull request that adds appropriate permissions: blocks to each of the workflow files listed above. Analyze each workflow to determine the minimum permissions required based on the actions it performs, and add only those necessary permissions.
</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes Please define actions workflow permissions #15

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[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

This PR enhances security by adding explicit minimal permissions to GitHub Actions workflows that previously relied on overly permissive defaults. Following the principle of least privilege, both workflows now explicitly declare they only require read access to repository contents.

• Added permissions: contents: read at the workflow level to both workflow files
• Properly scoped permissions for checkout actions without granting unnecessary access
• NPM publishing continues to use NODE_AUTH_TOKEN secret, requiring no additional GitHub permissions

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 3 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

File	Description
.github/workflows/nodejs.yml	Added explicit contents: read permission for the CI workflow that runs tests on push/PR events
.github/workflows/publish.yml	Added explicit contents: read permission for the release workflow that publishes to npm

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[jonrohan]

@copilot There's some failures with the Node CI build can you look at them?

[Copilot]

@copilot There's some failures with the Node CI build can you look at them?

Fixed in commit ad0bfb4. The CI was failing because Node.js 14 is EOL and not available on macOS ARM64 runners. Upgraded to Node.js 20.x (current LTS) which resolves the compatibility issue.

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• www.googleapis.com
  • Triggering command: /usr/local/bin/node node install.js (dns block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)