---
stage: Protect
group: Container Security
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---

# Scan result policies **(ULTIMATE)**

You can use scan result policies to take action based on scan results. For example, one type of scan
result policy is a security approval policy that allows approval to be required based on the
findings of one or more security scan jobs. Scan result policies are evaluated after a CI scanning
job is fully executed.

## Scan result policy editor

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/77814) in GitLab 14.8 with a flag named `scan_result_policy`. Disabled by default.

NOTE:
Only project Owners have the [permissions](../../permissions.md#project-members-permissions)
to select Security Policy Project.

Once your policy is complete, save it by selecting **Create merge request** at the bottom of the
editor. This redirects you to the merge request on the project's configured security policy project.
If a security policy project doesn't link to your project, GitLab creates such a project for you.
Existing policies can also be removed from the editor interface by selecting **Delete policy** at
the bottom of the editor.

All scan result policy changes are applied through a background job that runs once every 10 minutes.
Allow up to 10 minutes for any policy changes committed to this project to take effect.

The policy editor only supports YAML mode. To follow work on Rule mode, see the epic
[Allow Users to Edit Rule-mode scan result policies in the Policy UI](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/5363).

![Scan Result Policy Editor YAML Mode](img/scan_result_policy_yaml_mode_v14_6.png)

## Scan result policies schema

The YAML file with scan result policies consists of an array of objects matching the scan result
policy schema nested under the `scan_result_policy` key. You can configure a maximum of five
policies under the `scan_result_policy` key.

When you save a new policy, GitLab validates its contents against [this JSON schema](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/validators/json_schemas/security_orchestration_policy.json).
If you're not familiar with how to read [JSON schemas](https://json-schema.org/),
the following sections and tables provide an alternative.

| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|-------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `scan_result_policy` | `array` of Scan Result Policy |  | List of scan result policies (maximum 5). |

## Scan result policy schema

| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|-------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `name` | `string` |  | Name of the policy. |
| `description` (optional) | `string` |  | Description of the policy. |
| `enabled` | `boolean` | `true`, `false` | Flag to enable (`true`) or disable (`false`) the policy. |
| `rules` | `array` of rules |  | List of rules that the policy applies. |
| `actions` | `array` of actions |  | List of actions that the policy enforces. |

## `scan_finding` rule type

This rule enforces the defined actions based on the information provided.

| Field      | Type | Possible values | Description |
|------------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `type`     | `string` | `scan_finding` | The rule's type. |
| `branches` | `array` of `string` | `*` or the branch's name | The branch the given policy applies to (supports wildcard). |
| `scanners`  | `array` of `string` | `sast`, `secret_detection`, `dependency_scanning`, `container_scanning`, `dast`, `coverage_fuzzing`, `api_fuzzing` | The security scanners for this rule to consider. |
| `vulnerabilities_allowed`  | `integer` | Greater than or equal to zero | Number of vulnerabilities allowed before this rule is considered. |
| `severity_levels`  | `array` of `string` | `info`, `unknown`, `low`, `medium`, `high`, `critical`| The severity levels for this rule to consider. |
| `vulnerability_states`  | `array` of `string` | `newly_detected`, `detected`, `confirmed`, `resolved`, `dismissed` | The vulnerability states for this rule to consider when the target branch is set to the default branch. |

## `require_approval` action type

This action sets an approval rule to be required when conditions are met for at least one rule in
the defined policy.

| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|-------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `type` | `string` | `require_approval` | The action's type. |
| `approvals_required` | `integer` | Greater than or equal to zero | The number of MR approvals required. |
| `user_approvers` | `array` of `string` | Username of one of more users | The users to consider as approvers. |
| `user_approvers_ids` | `array` of `integer` | ID of one of more users | The IDs of users to consider as approvers. |
| `group_approvers` | `array` of `string` | Path of one of more groups | The groups to consider as approvers. |
| `group_approvers_ids` | `array` of `integer` | ID of one of more groups | The IDs of groups to consider as approvers. |

Requirements and limitations:

- You must add the respective [security scanning tools](../index.md#security-scanning-tools).
  Otherwise, scan result policies won't have any effect.
- The maximum number of policies is five.
- Each policy can have a maximum of five rules.

## Example security scan result policies project

You can use this example in a `.gitlab/security-policies/policy.yml`, as described in
[Security policies project](index.md#security-policies-project):

```yaml
---
scan_result_policy:
- name: critical vulnerability CS approvals
  description: critical severity level only for container scanning
  enabled: true
  rules:
  - type: scan_finding
    branches:
    - main
    scanners:
    - container_scanning
    vulnerabilities_allowed: 0
    severity_levels:
    - critical
    vulnerability_states:
    - newly_detected
  actions:
  - type: require_approval
    approvals_required: 1
    user_approvers:
    - adalberto.dare
- name: secondary CS approvals
  description: secondary only for container scanning
  enabled: true
  rules:
  - type: scan_finding
    branches:
    - main
    scanners:
    - container_scanning
    vulnerabilities_allowed: 1
    severity_levels:
    - low
    - unknown
    vulnerability_states:
    - newly_detected
  actions:
  - type: require_approval
    approvals_required: 1
    user_approvers:
    - sam.white
```

In this example:

- Every MR that contains new `critical` vulnerabilities identified by container scanning requires
  one approval from `alberto.dare`.
- Every MR that contains more than one new `low` or `unknown` vulnerability identified by container
  scanning requires one approval from `sam.white`.

## Example for Scan Result Policy editor

You can use this example in the YAML mode of the [Scan Result Policy editor](#scan-result-policy-editor).
It corresponds to a single object from the previous example:

```yaml
- name: critical vulnerability CS approvals
  description: critical severity level only for container scanning
  enabled: true
  rules:
  - type: scan_finding
    branches:
    - main
    scanners:
    - container_scanning
    vulnerabilities_allowed: 1
    severity_levels:
    - critical
    vulnerability_states:
    - newly_detected
  actions:
  - type: require_approval
    approvals_required: 1
    user_approvers:
    - adalberto.dare
```