Securing secrets in software build workflows involving modular build code

A computer system comprising:

• a trusted repository storing program modules that have been approved to make privileged requests using one or more privileged credentials;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• obtain a set of build instructions calling for execution of a first program module stored in the trusted repository in addition to execution of a second program module not stored in the trusted repository;
• load the first program module for execution, wherein to load the first program module, the one or more processors are configured to:
• validate a cryptographic signature of the first program module to determine that the first program module is authentic, and
• pass a privileged credential to the first program module without providing the second program module access to the privileged credential, wherein the passing of the privileged credential is conditioned upon successful validation of the cryptographic signature;
• and
• load the second program module for execution, wherein to load the second program module, the one or more processors are configured to:
• determine whether the second program module makes any privileged requests, and
• prevent fulfillment of any privileged requests from the second program module.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code, the program code including instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computer system to configure the computer system to:

• obtain a set of build instructions calling for execution of a first program module stored in a trusted repository in addition to execution of a second program module not stored in the trusted repository, wherein the first program module and the second program module are executable to perform build operations for software under development, and wherein the trusted repository stores program modules that have been approved to make privileged requests using one or more privileged credentials;
• load the first program module for execution, wherein the loading of the first program module comprises:
• validating, by the computer system, a cryptographic signature of the first program module to determine that the first program module is authentic, and
• passing, by the computer system, a privileged credential to the first program module without providing the second program module access to the privileged credential, wherein the passing of the privileged credential is conditioned upon successful validation of the cryptographic signature;
• and
• load the second program module for execution, wherein the loading of the second program module comprises:
• determining, by the computer system, whether the second program module makes any privileged requests, and
• preventing fulfillment of any privileged requests from the second program module.