python-pip-audit

# Python pip-audit Dependency Security Scanning pip-audit scans Python environments and requirements files for packages with known vulnerabilities. It queries the Python Packaging Advisory Database via the PyPI JSON API and the OSV database, reporting CVEs, GHSA IDs, and fix versions. ## Installation Install pip-audit into the project's virtual environment or as a standalone tool: ```bash # Into active virtual environment pip install pip-audit # Isolated global install (preferred for CI) pipx install pip-audit # Via conda conda install -c conda-forge pip-audit ``` pip-audit requires Python 3.10 or newer. ## Core Usage **Audit the current environment:** ```bash pip-audit ``` **Audit a requirements file:** ```bash pip-audit -r requirements.txt ``` **Audit a local Python project (reads `pyproject.toml` or `pylock.*.toml`):** ```bash pip-audit . ``` **Audit lock files only:** ```bash pip-audit --locked . ``` **Exclude system packages (useful inside virtual environments):** ```bash pip-audit -r requirements.txt -l ``` ## Vulnerability Services pip-audit supports two vulnerability data sources: | Service | Flag | Default | |---|---|---| | PyPI JSON API | `-s pypi` | Yes | | OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities) | `-s osv` | No | Use OSV for broader advisory coverage across multiple ecosystems: ```bash pip-audit -r requirements.txt -s osv ``` Switch the OSV API endpoint (e.g., for self-hosted instances): ```bash pip-audit -r requirements.txt -s osv --osv-url https://api.osv.dev/v1/query ``` ## Output Formats ```bash pip-audit -f columns # Default columnar output pip-audit -f json # Machine-readable JSON pip-audit -f markdown # Markdown table pip-audit -f cyclonedx-json # CycloneDX SBOM (JSON) pip-audit -f cyclonedx-xml # CycloneDX SBOM (XML) ``` Save output to a file: ```bash pip-audit -f json -o audit-report.json ``` Include vulnerability descriptions and alias IDs (CVE/GHSA) in output: ```bash pip-audit --desc --aliases ``` For JSON format, descriptions and aliases are included automatically. ## Automatic Fix Upgrade vulnerable packages automatically: ```bash pip-audit --fix ``` Preview what would be upgraded without applying changes: ```bash pip-audit --fix --dry-run ``` Dry run without the `--fix` flag reports how many dependencies *would* be audited: ```bash pip-audit --dry-run ``` ## Ignoring Specific Vulnerabilities Suppress known false positives or accepted risks using the vulnerability ID, CVE, or GHSA alias: ```bash # Ignore by PYSEC ID pip-audit --ignore-vuln PYSEC-2021-666 # Ignore by CVE pip-audit --ignore-vuln CVE-2019-1010083 # Ignore by GHSA pip-audit --ignore-vuln GHSA-w596-4wvx-j9j6 # Ignore multiple pip-audit --ignore-vuln CVE-XXX-YYYY --ignore-vuln GHSA-abc-def-ghij ``` Document every suppressed ID in a comment or issue tracker entry explaining why it is not applicable. ## Performance: Skipping Dependency Resolution pip-audit performs its own dependency resolution by default, which can be slow. Skip resolution when inputs are already fully pinned: **Pinned without hashes (faster):** ```bash pip-audit --no-deps -r requirements.txt ``` **Pinned with hashes (fastest, most secure):** ```bash pip-audit --require-hashes -r requirements.txt ``` `--require-hashes` is equivalent to pip's hash-checking mode. It fails if any package is missing a hash, providing additional supply-chain integrity. **Audit a pre-installed environment directly (no resolution needed):** ```bash pip-audit pip-audit --local # only local packages, skip globally installed ``` ## Exit Codes | Code | Meaning | |---|---| | `0` | No known vulnerabilities found | | `1` | One or more vulnerabilities found | Exit codes cannot be suppressed internally. Use shell idioms when needed: ```bash # Continue even if vulnerabilities found pip-audit || true # Capture for custom handling pip-audit exitcode="${?}" ``` ## Environment Variables Configure pip-audit without flags for CI pipelines: | Variable | Equivalent flag | Example value | |---|---|---| | `PIP_AUDIT_FORMAT` | `--format` | json | | `PIP_AUDIT_VULNERABILITY_SERVICE` | `--vulnerability-service` | osv | | `PIP_AUDIT_DESC` | `--desc` | off | | `PIP_AUDIT_PROGRESS_SPINNER` | `--progress-spinner` | off | | `PIP_AUDIT_OUTPUT` | `--output` | audit-report.json | ## Reporting Only Fixable Vulnerabilities Filter to only fail when vulnerabilities have known fix versions using `jq`: ```bash test -z "$(pip-audit -r requirements.txt --format=json 2>/dev/null \ | jq '.dependencies[].vulns[].fix_versions[]')" ``` This exits non-zero only when at least one fixable vulnerability exists. ## pipenv Projects Convert `Pipfile.lock` to a requirements format and pipe directly: ```bash pipenv run pip-audit -r <(pipenv requirements) ``` ## Private Package Indices Use `--index-url` and `--extra-index-url` to point at internal registries: ```bash pip-audit -r requirements.txt \ --index-url https://pypi.example.com/simple/ \ --extra-index-url https://pypi.org/simple/ ``` Interactive authentication is not supported. Use keyring via the subprocess provider or set credentials in the URL or environment. ## Security Model pip-audit detects *known* vulnerabilities in *direct and transitive* Python dependencies. It does not: - Perform static code analysis - Detect vulnerabilities in native shared libraries linked by Python packages - Protect against malicious packages not yet in any advisory database Treat `pip-audit -r INPUT` as equivalent to `pip install -r INPUT` — it resolves and downloads packages. Only audit inputs from trusted sources. ## Additional Resources - **`references/ci-integration.md`** — GitHub Actions workflow, pre-commit hook, and baseline automation patterns