diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index bcbfe28b0..1e2948d10 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 version: 2
+# A release is proposed only once it is a week old: a compromised or broken release is usually pulled
+# within days. The cooldown holds back version updates only; security updates still come at once.
 updates:
   - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "weekly"
     target-branch: "main"
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
 
   - package-ecosystem: "gradle"
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "weekly"
     target-branch: "main"
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index cbdedd806..9b2cfdd72 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -63,6 +65,8 @@ jobs:
               out until the wrapper's Gradle supports Java 27.
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK ${{ matrix.jdk }} for the tests
         id: test-jdk
@@ -85,11 +89,14 @@ jobs:
           REASON: ${{ matrix.gradle_args_reason }}
         run: echo "::notice title=JDK ${{ matrix.jdk }} runs with $GRADLE_ARGS::$REASON"
 
-      # Gradle does not look into the runner's tool cache, so it is told where the test JDK is.
+      # Gradle does not look into the runner's tool cache, so it is told where the test JDK is. The path is
+      # a step's output, so it reaches the shell as a variable rather than being pasted into the script.
       - name: Build
+        env:
+          TEST_JDK: ${{ steps.test-jdk.outputs.path }}
         run: >-
           ./gradlew test -PjavaRuntime=${{ matrix.jdk }} ${{ matrix.gradle_args }}
-          -Porg.gradle.java.installations.paths=${{ steps.test-jdk.outputs.path }}
+          -Porg.gradle.java.installations.paths="$TEST_JDK"
 
       - name: Publish Test Report
         uses: mikepenz/action-junit-report@a9170d5795813c01ab4901ffb045b52bab4ab09d # v6.5.0
@@ -126,6 +133,8 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       # The jars compile with a Java 21 toolchain, which gradle.properties looks up in JDK21_HOME. On
       # Linux and macOS Gradle also finds the runner's own JDK 21 by its location, on Windows it does not.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
index d875a721d..e4807befe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Set up JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
           java-version: '21'
 
       - name: Initialize CodeQL
-        uses: github/codeql-action/init@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4
+        uses: github/codeql-action/init@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4.38.1
         with:
           languages: ${{ matrix.language }}
           build-mode: ${{ matrix.build-mode }}
@@ -46,6 +48,6 @@ jobs:
         run: ./gradlew --no-build-cache clean compileJava compileTestJava
 
       - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
-        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4
+        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4.38.1
         with:
           category: "/language:${{matrix.language}}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml b/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml
index 7aab91003..bca4dec03 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   dependabot:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.actor == 'dependabot[bot]'
+    # Who opened the pull request, not who triggered this run: github.actor is whoever caused the event,
+    # and a run that Dependabot triggers on someone else's pull request would pass an actor check.
+    if: github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'dependabot[bot]'
     steps:
       - name: Fetch Dependabot metadata
         id: metadata
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependency-submission.yml b/.github/workflows/dependency-submission.yml
index f25a4ff13..e4c029c9c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dependency-submission.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependency-submission.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Set up a bootstrap JDK
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index dbe21dafa..f53532512 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -100,6 +101,8 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       # The Java 21 toolchain for the jars, through JDK21_HOME, as in ci.yml: Gradle does not find the
       # runner's own JDK 21 on Windows. Installed before GraalVM, so that Gradle still runs on GraalVM.
@@ -143,6 +146,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -207,6 +211,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -244,6 +249,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -286,6 +292,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
@@ -325,6 +332,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Install JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@de7274f081f381c8f8158605e0321c36c376e2e6 # v6.0.1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sha-pinning-check.yml b/.github/workflows/sha-pinning-check.yml
index 16cfdd7fb..181c6e7bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sha-pinning-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sha-pinning-check.yml
@@ -6,10 +6,15 @@ on:
   push:
     branches: [ 'main' ]
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   pin-check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - uses: zgosalvez/github-actions-ensure-sha-pinned-actions@62574f011e0d1967d555a862bd28a7abba8684fe # v5.0.9
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-pr-branch.yml b/.github/workflows/update-pr-branch.yml
index d0ef7a737..eff6c9c5b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-pr-branch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-pr-branch.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ on:
     # Run every hour to catch stuck PRs
     - cron: '0 * * * *'
 
+# The action reads and updates the pull requests with BOT_PAT alone, so the workflow's own token needs
+# no permissions.
+permissions: {}
+
 jobs:
   update:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest