[Bug] Security advisories API doesn't allow updating ecosystem: other packages

[jamietanna]

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While trying to update an advisory today (GHSA-8wc6-vgrq-x6cf) to add additional affected packages, I found that the API doesn't allow updating ecosystem: other references.

To test this again, I've created a fake advisory:

% curl https://api.github.com/repos/jamietanna/jamietanna/security-advisories/GHSA-xwxx-xxm9-q3qf -H "Authorization: Bearer $(gh auth token)"
{
  "ghsa_id": "GHSA-xwxx-xxm9-q3qf",
...
  "vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "other",
        "name": "golang"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": "> 1",
      "patched_versions": "< 2",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    }
  ],
...
}

If we try to update this, adding a new element (from the docs:

curl https://api.github.com/repos/jamietanna/jamietanna/security-advisories/GHSA-xwxx-xxm9-q3qf -H "Authorization: Bearer $(gh auth token)" -X PATCH -d '{
	"vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "other",
        "name": "golang"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": "> 1",
      "patched_versions": "< 2",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    },

	{
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "pip",
        "name": "a-package"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": ">= 1.0.0, < 1.0.1",
      "patched_versions": "1.0.1",
      "vulnerable_functions": [
        "function1"
      ]
    }
	]
}'
{
...
  "vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "other",
        "name": "golang"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": "> 1",
      "patched_versions": "< 2",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    },
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "pip",
        "name": "a-package"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": ">= 1.0.0, < 1.0.1",
      "patched_versions": "1.0.1",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    }
  ],
...
}

This works, and we can see both packages in the UI.

From here, if we edit - in the UI - the package ecosystem from other to docker:

Then when we GET it via the API, we can see it's there and rendered as expected:

% curl https://api.github.com/repos/jamietanna/jamietanna/security-advisories/GHSA-xwxx-xxm9-q3qf -H "Authorization: Bearer $(gh auth token)"
{
...
  "vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "docker",
        "name": "golang"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": "> 1",
      "patched_versions": "< 2",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    },
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "pip",
        "name": "a-package"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": ">= 1.0.0, < 1.0.1",
      "patched_versions": "1.0.1",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    }
  ],
...
}

But if we try and update - i.e. to add another package - we get an error:

curl https://api.github.com/repos/jamietanna/jamietanna/security-advisories/GHSA-xwxx-xxm9-q3qf -H "Authorization: Bearer $(gh auth token)" -X PATCH -d '{
	"vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "docker",
        "name": "golang"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": "> 1",
      "patched_versions": "< 2",
      "vulnerable_functions": [

      ]
    },
	{
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "pip",
        "name": "a-package"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": ">= 1.0.0, < 1.0.1",
      "patched_versions": "1.0.1",
      "vulnerable_functions": [
        "function1"
      ]
    },
	{
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "pip",
        "name": "b-package"
      },
      "vulnerable_version_range": ">= 1.0.0, < 1.0.1",
      "patched_versions": "1.0.1",
      "vulnerable_functions": [
        "function1"
      ]
    }
	]
}'
{
  "message": "Invalid request.\n\nInvalid property /vulnerabilities/0/package/ecosystem: `docker` is not a possible value. Must be one of the following: rubygems, npm, pip, maven, nuget, composer, go, rust, erlang, actions, pub, other, swift.",
  "documentation_url": "https://docs.github.com/rest/security-advisories/repository-advisories#update-a-repository-security-advisory",
  "status": "422"
}

There doesn't seem to be a way to associate the custom value, which also means that updates require custom logic to replace the docker value with other, and then requires re-editing it in the UI, which isn't ideal.

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[gtjoseph]

I also ran into this a few months back. I was told by support "It's working as designed". :(