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/reviewing-dependency-changes

@5169f0f official
by bitwardenbitwarden/ai-plugins155 stars
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Use this skill when a PR diff contains changes to dependency manifest files (package.json, .csproj, Cargo.toml, go.mod, requirements.txt, etc.) or when reviewing Renovate/Dependabot bot PRs. Evaluates new dependencies for AppSec approval process compliance, major version bump significance, lock file hygiene, and dependency removal completeness. Does NOT perform deep security or license analysis — that is handled by the bitwarden-security-engineer plugin's reviewing-dependencies skill.

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Use this Skill: https://skilld.dev/gh/bitwarden/ai-plugins/reviewing-dependency-changes

This session only. Nothing lands on disk.

SKILL.md

≈130 tokens always: the name and description. ≈1.7k when used: this file.

Reviewing Dependency Changes

Manifest File Detection

Flag this skill when any of these files appear in the diff:

  • package.json, package-lock.json
  • *.csproj, Directory.Packages.props, packages.lock.json
  • Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock
  • go.mod, go.sum
  • requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, poetry.lock
  • Gemfile, Gemfile.lock

Area 1: New Dependencies

When a PR adds a dependency that was not previously in the codebase, Bitwarden's Dependency Review and Approval process requires AppSec review and approval before integration. This applies to all new dependencies — production, dev, and test.

The submitter must provide the package name/version, ecosystem, justification, scope, affected products, and what it replaces. A security engineer creates a VULN task in Jira and evaluates the dependency across security (known CVEs, exploitability), license compatibility (permissive licenses like MIT/Apache-2.0 are acceptable; copyleft licenses like GPL/AGPL are flagged), maintenance health (active maintainers, recent releases, security policy), supply chain risk (typosquatting, ownership changes, obfuscated install scripts), and transitive dependencies before rendering an approval decision.

What to Check

  1. Is this a net-new dependency (not already present in the codebase)?
  2. Does the PR description contain an approval signal indicating the process was followed?

Approval Signals

Evidence that the dependency approval process was followed:

  • PR description references a VULN task (e.g., VULN-1234)
  • PR description explicitly mentions AppSec approval or the dependency review process

Severity

When emitting a finding that references the Dependency Review and Approval process, always link the process name to https://bitwarden.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/APPSEC/pages/2774466657/Dependency+Review+and+Approval so the posted review comment points reviewers to the canonical documentation.

  • No approval signal found → ⚠️ IMPORTANT: New dependency <package> added. Bitwarden requires AppSec approval before introducing new dependencies. The submitter should reach out to the AppSec team to initiate the Dependency Review and Approval process.
  • Unclear whether approval was obtained → ❓ QUESTION: Was AppSec approval obtained for the new <package> dependency?

What NOT to Flag

  • Dependencies that already exist in the codebase (version updates are not new dependencies)
  • Dependencies added by Renovate/Dependabot as transitive dependency updates (these are part of Stage 5 monitoring for existing approved dependencies)

Area 2: Major Version Bumps

A major version bump (e.g., v2 → v3) may introduce breaking changes that affect Bitwarden's codebase.

What to Check

  1. Is this a SemVer major version change?
  2. Does the PR description discuss breaking changes or migration steps?

Severity

  • Major bump without migration discussion → ❓ QUESTION: This bumps <package> from vX to vY (major). Were breaking changes evaluated?
  • Version downgrade → ⚠️ IMPORTANT: <package> is being downgraded from vX to vY. This is unusual and may reintroduce resolved vulnerabilities.

Area 3: Lock File Hygiene

Lock files ensure reproducible builds. Inconsistencies between manifests and lock files are a build reliability and security concern.

What to Check

Scenario Finding
Manifest changed, lock file not updated ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Lock file not updated to reflect manifest changes
Lock file changed, no manifest change ❓ QUESTION: Lock file changed without a corresponding manifest change — was this intentional (e.g., npm audit fix)?
Lock file deleted ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Lock file removal breaks reproducible builds

What NOT to Flag

  • Large lock file diffs from a small manifest change — this is normal behavior. Lock files can change significantly from a single dependency addition or version bump.
  • Lock file-only changes that accompany a clear manifest change in the same PR.

Area 4: Automated Dependency PRs

Renovate and Dependabot PRs are part of Bitwarden's Stage 5 (Monitoring) process. These automated updates to existing approved dependencies require different review treatment.

How to Detect

  • PR author: renovate[bot], dependabot[bot], or similar bot accounts
  • PR title pattern: "Update ...", "Bump ...", "chore(deps): ..."

Review Guidance

Scenario Action
Minor/patch update to existing dependency No approval-process finding needed. Focus on lock file hygiene and CI status.
Major version bump from bot Flag per Area 2 — major bumps warrant human review regardless of source.
Bot PR introduces a net-new dependency Flag per Area 1 — new dependencies require the approval process regardless of source.

Area 5: Dependency Removal

When a dependency is removed from a manifest, verify the removal is complete.

What to Check

  1. Are there remaining code references to the removed package?
    • JavaScript/TypeScript: import ... from '<package>', require('<package>')
    • C#/.NET: using <namespace>, references in other .csproj files
    • Rust: use <crate>::, extern crate <crate>
    • Python: import <package>, from <package> import
  2. Are there references in build or infrastructure files?
    • Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml
    • CI workflow files (.github/workflows/*.yml)
    • Build scripts, Makefile, task runners

Severity

  • Dead imports or references remain → ♻️ DEBT: <package> removed from manifest but still referenced in code.

Source: SKILL.md on GitHub

Third-party checks

1 warning14d3 checks · Risk SAFE
  • Gen Agent Trust Hub14d

    The skill is generally safe and aligns with its stated purpose of assisting in dependency reviews. However, it is susceptible to indirect prompt injection because it instructs the agent to rely on untrusted PR descriptions to verify security approvals.

  • Socket14d

    No alerts

  • Snyk14d

    Risk: MEDIUM · 1 issue

Provenance

Signed by skilld at 5169f0f. This ties the file your Agent reads to that commit on GitHub. It does not review the instructions.

Last checked against GitHub yesterday.

Activeupdated 3 months ago

Topics

  • dependencies
  • renovate
  • dependabot
  • package-management
  • security-review
  • version-bumps
  • lock-files
  • appsec

README badge

README badge for bitwarden/ai-plugins/reviewing-dependency-changes

What it does

Audits dependency manifest changes in PRs against Bitwarden's approval and hygiene requirements — new dependencies, major version bumps, lock file consistency, and removal completeness. Does not perform security or license scanning; that is handled by a separate skill.

Generated from the current SKILL.md.

Frequently asked

Does this skill perform deep security scanning or license analysis?
No. This skill checks for AppSec approval signals and flags structural issues like lock file mismatches. Deep security audits and license compliance analysis are handled by the bitwarden-security-engineer plugin's reviewing-dependencies skill.
What counts as a 'new dependency' that requires AppSec approval?
Any dependency not already present in the codebase, including production, dev, and test dependencies. Version updates to existing dependencies do not require approval. Transitive dependency updates from Renovate/Dependabot are also excluded.
Should I flag major version bumps from Renovate or Dependabot bots?
Yes. Major version bumps warrant human review regardless of whether they come from a bot or manual PR. Minor and patch updates from bots do not need approval-process findings.
What ecosystems and manifest files does this skill cover?
Node.js (package.json, package-lock.json), .NET (*.csproj, Directory.Packages.props, packages.lock.json), Rust (Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock), Go (go.mod, go.sum), Python (requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, poetry.lock), and Ruby (Gemfile, Gemfile.lock).
Is a large lock file diff normal when adding a single dependency?
Yes. Lock files often change significantly from a single dependency addition or version bump due to transitive dependency resolution. This does not require flagging as long as the manifest change is clear.

Generated from the current SKILL.md. These answers refresh after source changes.