By default, GitHub sends notifications for new Dependabot alerts to all users who have at least write permissions for the affected repository. This default recipient list includes individuals with Write, Maintain, or Admin roles. The system is designed to alert those who can commit code and resolve the identified vulnerabilities. Since the "Write" permission is the minimum level required to receive these alerts, and the higher-level "Maintain" and "Admin" roles inherently include write access, this option is the most accurate and comprehensive answer.

B. Users with Admin privileges to the repository

This is too restrictive. Users with only Write or Maintain permissions also receive default notifications, not just administrators.

C. Users with Maintain privileges to the repository

This is incomplete. Users with Write and Admin permissions are also included in the default notification group.

D. Users with Read permissions to the repository

This is incorrect. Users with read-only access cannot act on vulnerabilities and are not included in the default notification recipients for security alerts.

1. GitHub Docs

"Configuring notifications for Dependabot alerts."

Section: Dependabot alerts notifications

Content: "When a new Dependabot alert is detected

GitHub notifies all users with access to security alerts for the repository according to their notification preferences. ... By default

we notify people with write

maintain

or admin permissions in the affected repositories." This directly confirms that users with Write

Maintain

or Admin permissions are the default recipients.

2. GitHub Docs

"Repository roles for an organization."

Section: Permissions for repository roles

Content: This document outlines the hierarchy of permissions (Read < Triage < Write < Maintain < Admin). It substantiates that "Write" is the foundational permission level among the three roles that receive alerts

and that Maintain and Admin roles are supersets of Write permissions.

When a code scanning alert identifies a data flow problem, it means potentially untrusted data is being used in an unsafe way. To understand the vulnerability, you need to trace the path of this data from its origin (the source) to where it's used unsafely (the sink). The GitHub interface provides a specific control for this purpose. By clicking Show paths, you can expand the alert details to see a step-by-step visualization of the data's journey through the codebase, providing the necessary context to remediate the issue.

B. Security: This is the top-level tab in a repository's navigation where you access all security-related features, not a specific action taken within an alert.

C. Code scanning alerts: This is the link under the "Security" tab that takes you to the list of all alerts, not the control used to get more context on a single, specific alert.

1. GitHub Docs

"Managing code scanning alerts for your repository." Under the section "Viewing the details of an alert

" the documentation states: "For alerts that highlight a data-flow problem

you can also view the path from the data source to the sink. To view the data flow path

click Show paths." This directly confirms the function of the "Show paths" link for data flow analysis.

2. GitHub Docs

"About code scanning alerts." In the section "About data flow analysis

" it explains: "Data flow analysis finds potential security issues in code by tracking the flow of data from a source... to a sink... Code scanning shows you how the data travels from the source to the sink in the alert details." This establishes the concept that viewing the path is the primary way to get context.

GitHub's secret scanning feature is designed to be efficient by de-duplicating alerts. When a secret is detected, GitHub generates a single alert for that unique secret value within a specific repository. If the exact same secret value is committed again in different files or locations within the same repository, these new instances are associated with the existing alert and do not generate new, separate alerts. This ensures that repository administrators are not overwhelmed with redundant notifications for a single compromised secret.

B. This is incorrect because GitHub's secret scanning logic consolidates findings for the same secret value into a single alert per repository.

C. This is incorrect. The system is designed to create one alert per unique secret, not multiple alerts for repeated instances.

D. This is incorrect. The alerting mechanism de-duplicates identical secrets within the same repository to prevent alert fatigue.

1. GitHub Docs

"Managing alerts from secret scanning": Under the section "About secret scanning alerts

" the documentation states

"GitHub generates one alert per unique secret detected

per repository. If the same secret is present in multiple places in one repository

you will only see one alert for that secret

with information about each location." This directly confirms that multiple instances of the same secret result in only one alert.

Dependency review is a security feature specifically designed to operate within the pull request workflow. It automatically scans for changes in dependency manifest files and lock files. When a pull request introduces a new or updated dependency, dependency review checks it against the GitHub Advisory Database. If a vulnerability is found, it is flagged directly in the "Files changed" tab of the pull request, allowing reviewers to identify and address potential security risks before the code is merged into the main branch.

A. Dependency graph provides a repository-level summary of all dependencies; it does not function as a review tool within a specific pull request's changes.

C. Dependabot alerts notify you of existing vulnerabilities in your repository's default branch, rather than proactively showing vulnerabilities introduced in a pending pull request.

D. The repository's Security tab is a centralized dashboard for viewing security alerts and configurations, not the specific feature that reviews dependency changes in a pull request.

1. GitHub Docs

"About dependency review." This document states

"Dependency review helps you understand dependency changes and the security impact of these changes at every pull request. It provides an easily understandable visualization of dependency changes with a rich diff on the 'Files Changed' tab of a pull request." (Source: https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/supply-chain-security/understanding-your-software-supply-chain/about-dependency-review

Section: "What is dependency review?")

2. GitHub Docs

"Reviewing dependency changes in a pull request." This guide details the process: "The dependency review for a pull request shows... which dependencies have known vulnerabilities... You can find the dependency review on the Files changed tab of a pull request." (Source: https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/supply-chain-security/understanding-your-software-supply-chain/reviewing-dependency-changes-in-a-pull-request

Section: "About the dependency review")

For GitHub to generate a dependency graph for a private repository, two fundamental conditions must be met. First, the feature must be explicitly enabled, as it is not on by default for private repositories. Enabling it at the organization level for all new private repositories is a valid method to satisfy this requirement. Second, GitHub's scanning service requires permission to access and parse the files that define the project's dependencies. This requires, at a minimum, read-only access to the specific dependency manifest (e.g., package.json, pom.xml) and lock files within the repository.

A. This is incorrect because GitHub does not need access to all repository files. The principle of least privilege applies; only read access to dependency-related manifest and lock files is necessary.

C. This is incorrect because generating the dependency graph is a read-only process. GitHub scans and analyzes files but does not modify them, so write access is not required.

1. GitHub Docs

"About the dependency graph." This document states

"The dependency graph is enabled by default for all public repositories. You can choose to enable it for private repositories." This supports the requirement that the feature must be enabled (Option B). It also details that GitHub scans common package manifests

which implies a need for read access to those files (Option D).

Source: GitHub Docs

Code security > Supply chain security > Understanding your software supply chain > About the dependency graph.

2. GitHub Docs

"Configuring the dependency graph." This guide provides the specific procedures for activation. It confirms that for private repositories

an administrator must "enable the dependency graph." It outlines the steps to enable it for an individual repository or for all repositories in an organization

validating the action described in Option B.

Source: GitHub Docs

Code security > Supply chain security > Understanding your software supply chain > Configuring the dependency graph.