A security release announcement for an internal library should state the fixed version, which versions are affected, the action each consumer must take, the deadline, and where to ask questions. Send it to a stable channel and to the teams that consume the library, not a general broadcast.
Who should get it
Use your dependency inventory to find real consumers. A message sent to everyone trains people to ignore it. A message sent only to the owners of affected services gets read.
The template
- Subject: library name, fixed version, severity in plain words.
- What happened: two sentences. No blame, no speculation.
- Who is affected: the version range. Add how to check, such as a command that prints the resolved version.
- What to do: upgrade to the stated version, run tests, deploy.
- By when: a date from your service level.
- If you cannot upgrade: the workaround or the exception route.
- Contact: the team queue.
Worked example, in outline
Subject: "internal-auth 4.2.1: fixes a token validation flaw, upgrade by Friday."
Body: the check for versions below 4.2.1, the single command to upgrade, the note that 3.x receives a fix in 3.9.4 until the published cutoff, and the owning team's queue.
What to leave out
Exploit detail beyond what consumers need, internal system names that do not matter, and any claim you cannot support. Do not say nobody was affected unless you checked logs and can show it.
Follow up
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Day of release | Announce and open tracking tickets |
| Midway | Post a count of services upgraded |
| Deadline | List the teams that have not, and escalate |
| After | Record time to release and time to adopt |
Semantic versioning helps here. The specification states that released contents must not be modified, so always announce a new version rather than replacing a tag. Consumers can then see exactly which version they run.
Keep the record
Store each notice in the library repository, next to the release notes. That gives auditors and new maintainers a history, and it reminds the owner what the last incident taught. For how to track who upgraded, see which teams lag behind on internal library versions.
Safeguard can help with the inventory side: its SBOM and dependency scanning shows which services pull in a given internal library, and you can run a free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Quick check
Should the notice go to a public channel?
Send it to the channel your consumers actually watch, plus a ticket in each affected team's queue. Avoid wide broadcasts that dilute attention.
Do we need a separate notice for each severity?
Use the same template, but change the deadline and channel. Critical issues may need a direct message to team leads.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
