Sharing security expertise through CodeQL packs (Part I)

The blog post discusses the importance of using CodeQL, an analytics tool for identifying security vulnerabilities in code, and how to share this expertise with the community to enhance open-source software security. By creating and publishing CodeQL query packs, developers can share their specific security queries, such as those detecting vulnerabilities like Windows binary planting in GitHub Actions, allowing others to apply these patterns to their codebases. CodeQL packaging, currently in beta, enables developers to bundle and distribute their queries, encouraging widespread use and protection against known vulnerabilities. The post provides detailed instructions on setting up, creating, and publishing a CodeQL pack, highlighting the benefits of sharing security knowledge through GitHub's registry and the CodeQL CLI. It emphasizes the ease of contributing queries to the open-source community, either through the CodeQL query repository or by creating domain-specific packs, thereby aiding in the prevention of security issues across diverse codebases.