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Expanding Dependency Management for .NET Developers
GitHub has officially expanded its dependency auto-submission feature to support NuGet, the package manager for .NET. This significant update allows developers working with the .NET ecosystem to automatically submit a snapshot of their project’s dependencies directly to GitHub’s Dependency Graph Submission API. With this, the entire transitive dependency tree becomes visible, enhancing security and visibility across your codebase.
Previously, this feature was limited to ecosystems like Maven and Gradle, widely used in Java development. By including NuGet, GitHub is making a strong commitment to broader language and platform support, especially for enterprise and cloud-based applications commonly built in .NET. This change enables seamless generation of Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs), clearer dependency insights, and more effective Dependabot alerts for potential security issues.
To leverage this feature, developers must enable the dependency graph in the repository’s settings. Navigate to Advanced Security and turn on Automatic Dependency Submission. Note that this requires GitHub Actions to be enabled as well, and it will consume action usage resources. GitHub also provides detailed documentation under Configuring Automatic Dependency Submission for teams wanting to integrate this smoothly into their CI/CD pipelines.
What Undercode Say: Real-World Value of NuGet Auto-Submission 💡
Strengthening DevSecOps with More Visibility
This update signals
Simplifying SBOM Generation for .NET
As SBOMs (Software Bill of Materials) gain popularity in compliance and regulatory frameworks, automating their generation is critical. With full transitive dependency visibility, GitHub can now generate more complete SBOMs for .NET projects. This is vital for organizations adopting secure-by-design approaches and fulfilling standards like NIST SP 800-218 (SSDF) or OpenSSF best practices.
Aligning with CI/CD and GitHub Actions
Since the auto-submission relies on GitHub Actions, it integrates well with modern CI/CD setups. Teams that already use automated workflows will find the adoption straightforward. However, it also underscores the importance of managing GitHub Action minutes and usage, especially for open-source projects operating under budget constraints.
Practical Implications for .NET Teams
NuGet support ensures that .NET developers no longer have to manually manage dependency insights or submit SBOMs themselves. The automation minimizes human error and improves traceability. This is particularly helpful in microservices and modular architectures, where projects often span multiple repositories and package dependencies.
Positioning GitHub as a Security-Centric Platform
This feature amplifies GitHub’s role in the software supply chain security landscape. While GitHub already offers Dependabot, secret scanning, and code scanning, the ability to auto-submit dependencies across platforms adds a powerful security layer. As software ecosystems grow more complex, this kind of proactive support becomes non-negotiable.
✅ Fact Checker Results
Claim: GitHub now supports NuGet in its dependency auto-submission feature — ✅ Confirmed
Claim: This works without enabling GitHub Actions — ❌ Incorrect. GitHub Actions must be enabled.
Claim: Supports full dependency visibility including transitive dependencies — ✅ Confirmed
🔮 Prediction
GitHub will likely continue expanding its auto-submission support to include npm (JavaScript) and pip (Python) next. With increasing pressure for software supply chain security, especially in regulated industries, auto-submission features will become default expectations for modern development platforms. Expect deeper integration with SBOM standards, third-party scanners, and real-time policy enforcement in future updates.
References:
Reported By: github.blog
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