harden: sanitize child_process call in generate-release-notes.js

[anupamme]

Summary

Harden input handling in scripts/generate-release-notes.js (flagged by semgrep).

Vulnerability

Field	Value
ID	javascript.lang.security.detect-child-process.detect-child-process
Severity	HIGH
Scanner	semgrep
Rule	javascript.lang.security.detect-child-process.detect-child-process
File	scripts/generate-release-notes.js:18
Assessment	Defensive hardening

Description: Detected calls to child_process from a function argument lastTag. This could lead to a command injection if the input is user controllable. Try to avoid calls to child_process, and if it is needed ensure user input is correctly sanitized or sandboxed.

Threat Model Context

This is a Node.js library - vulnerabilities affect downstream consumers who use this package.

Changes

• scripts/generate-release-notes.js

Behavior Preservation

The change is scoped to 1 file on the vulnerable path.

Security Invariant

Property: Shell commands never include unsanitized user input

Regression test

const { execSync } = require('child_process');
const path = require('path');

describe("Shell commands never include unsanitized user input", () => {
  const payloads = [
    "; rm -rf /",
    "$(whoami)",
    "`id`",
    "valid-tag-name"
  ];

  test.each(payloads)("rejects or escapes adversarial input: %s", (payload) => {
    const scriptPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../scripts/generate-release-notes.js');
    
    // Mock execSync to capture command before execution
    const originalExecSync = require('child_process').execSync;
    let capturedCommand = null;
    require('child_process').execSync = jest.fn((cmd) => {
      capturedCommand = cmd;
      return '';
    });

    try {
      process.argv = ['node', scriptPath, payload];
      require(scriptPath);
    } catch (e) {
      // Script may throw due to missing git/mocking - that's OK
    } finally {
      require('child_process').execSync = originalExecSync;
      delete require.cache[require.resolve(scriptPath)];
    }

    if (capturedCommand) {
      expect(capturedCommand).not.toContain(';');
      expect(capturedCommand).not.toContain('$(');
      expect(capturedCommand).not.toContain('`');
    }
  });
});)

This test guards against regressions — it's useful independent of the code change above.

---

This patch removes an exploit primitive — a code pattern that, while not independently exploitable today, could be chained with other weaknesses by automated exploit-development tooling. Proactive removal of such primitives raises the bar against increasingly capable automated attack tools.

---

Automated security fix by OrbisAI Security

[codacy-production]

Up to standards ✅

🟢 Issues 0 issues

Results:
0 new issues

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🟢 Metrics 0 complexity · 0 duplication

Metric	Results
Complexity	0
Duplication	0

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