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By default, users with Write, Maintain, or Admin permissions will receive notifications for new Dependabot alerts. However, Write permission is the minimum level needed to be automatically notified. Users with only Read access do not receive alerts unless added explicitly.

When a public repository contains credentials that match known secret formats, GitHub will automatically notify the service provider that issued the secret. This process is known as "secret scanning partner notification". The provider may then revoke the secret or contact the user directly.

GitHub does not publicly display the alert and does not send internal repository notifications for public detections.

These three features provide a complete layer of defense:

Code scanning identifies security flaws in your source code

Secret scanning detects exposed credentials

Dependency review shows the impact of package changes during a pull request

Together, they give developers actionable insight into risk and coverage throughout the SDLC.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

In private repositories, users with write access can fix code scanning alerts. They can do this by committing changes that address the issues identified by the code scanning tools. This level of access ensures that only trusted contributors can modify the code to resolve potential security vulnerabilities.​

GitHub Docs

Users with read or triage roles do not have the necessary permissions to make code changes, and the security manager role is primarily focused on managing security settings rather than directly modifying code.​

All results from CodeQL analysis appear under the repository’s code scanning alerts tab. This section is part of the Security tab and provides a list of all current, fixed, and dismissed alerts found by CodeQL.

A CodeQL database is used internally during scanning but does not display results. Query packs contain rules, not results. Security advisories are for published vulnerabilities, not per-repo findings.

The security-extended query suite includes additional CodeQL queries that detect lower severity issues than those in the default security-and-quality suite.

It’s often used when projects want broader visibility into code hygiene and potential weak spots beyond critical vulnerabilities.

The other options listed are paths to language packs, not query suites themselves.

After generating an alert for a vulnerable dependency, Dependabot automatically attempts to create a pull request to upgrade that dependency to the minimum required secure version—if a fix is available and compatible with your project.

This automated PR helps teams fix vulnerabilities quickly with minimal manual intervention. You can also configure update behaviors using dependabot.yml, but in the default state, PR creation is automatic.

By default, no repositories receive Dependabot alerts unless configuration is explicitly enabled. GitHub does not enable Dependabot alerts automatically for any repositories unless:

The feature is turned on manually

It's configured at the organization or enterprise level via security policies

This includes public, private, and enterprise-owned repositories — manual activation is required.

Secrets committed and then deleted are still accessible in the repository’s Git history. To locate them, navigate to the Commits tab. GitHub's secret scanning can detect secrets in both current and historical commits, which is why remediation should also include revoking the secret, not just removing it from the latest code.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

When GitHub identifies a vulnerable dependency in a repository with Dependabot alerts enabled, it performs the following actions:​

Generates a Dependabot alert: The alert is displayed on the repository's Security tab, providing details about the vulnerability and affected dependency.​

Notifies repository maintainers: By default, GitHub notifies users with write, maintain, or admin permissions about new Dependabot alerts.​

GitHub Docs

These actions ensure that responsible parties are informed promptly to address the vulnerability.​