Fix cache poisoning code scanning alerts in Python integration workflows

[iscai-msft]

Summary

Resolves the 36 open code scanning alerts of rule actions/cache-poisoning/poisonable-step (Cache Poisoning via execution of untrusted code):

• 31 alerts in .github/workflows/python-integration.yml (the http-client-python emitter CI)
• 5 alerts in .github/workflows/external-integration.yml

Root cause

Both workflows check out untrusted PR code (they update the core submodule / checkout to github.event.pull_request.head.sha) and then run steps that use caching. Each also declared a workflow_dispatch trigger. Because workflow_dispatch runs in the context of the default branch, it has write access to the default-branch cache scope. CodeQL flags this combination as a cache-poisoning risk: a run could write poisoned entries into a cache that privileged default-branch workflows later restore.

Every flagged instance in the alerts is attributed to the workflow_dispatch trigger.

Fix

Remove the workflow_dispatch trigger from both workflows so they run only on pull_request. Under pull_request, the cache is scoped to the PR branch rather than the default branch, which is exactly the "Correct Usage" pattern in the CodeQL rule's guidance.

• python-integration.yml: dropped workflow_dispatch:.
• external-integration.yml: dropped workflow_dispatch:, and removed the now-dead || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' disjunct from the azure-rest-api-specs job condition. That job remains manually triggerable via the existing int:azure-specs PR label.

Note: CodeQL does not evaluate step/job if: gates, so gating the untrusted checkout on github.event_name == 'pull_request' (as python-integration.yml already did) does not clear the alerts — removing the write-capable trigger is required.

Impact

• No change to the primary PR-validation behavior of either workflow.
• Loses the ability to manually dispatch these integration workflows with no PR context (which was not meaningful, since the jobs depend on PR head SHA). The azure-rest-api-specs job retains its label-based manual path.

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The changes are minimal, YAML-valid, and directly eliminate the write-capable workflow_dispatch trigger that CodeQL flags for cache poisoning risk.

Pull request overview

This PR removes workflow_dispatch from two GitHub Actions workflows to address CodeQL actions/cache-poisoning/poisonable-step alerts caused by combining untrusted PR code checkout with cache writes in a default-branch privileged trigger context.

Changes:

• Removed workflow_dispatch trigger from python-integration.yml.
• Removed workflow_dispatch trigger from external-integration.yml.
• Simplified the azure-rest-api-specs job condition by dropping the now-dead workflow_dispatch disjunct.

File summaries

File	Description
.github/workflows/python-integration.yml	Removes the manual dispatch trigger so cache writes only occur under pull_request scope.
.github/workflows/external-integration.yml	Removes the manual dispatch trigger and updates a job-level if: condition accordingly.

Review details

• Files reviewed: 2/2 changed files
• Comments generated: 0
• Review effort level: Lite

---

💡 Configure MCP servers for context-aware, tailored reviews. Learn more in the docs.

[github-actions]

No changes needing a change description found.

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The workflow changes are minimal, YAML remains valid, and all workflow_dispatch references were cleanly removed to address the stated CodeQL alert root cause.

Review details

• Files reviewed: 2/2 changed files
• Comments generated: 0 new
• Review effort level: Lite

[azure-sdk-automation]

You can try these changes here

🛝 Playground	🌐 Website	🛝 VSCode Extension