diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dca5599
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: gomod
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+    groups:
+      gomod:
+        patterns: ["*"]
+  - package-ecosystem: github-actions
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+    groups:
+      actions:
+        patterns: ["*"]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c0475ce..975219a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Coverage summary
         run: go tool cover -func=coverage.out | tail -n 1
 
+      - name: govulncheck
+        run: go run golang.org/x/vuln/cmd/govulncheck@v1.8.0 ./...
+
   lint:
     name: golangci-lint
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 37555ee..fef6725 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -12,18 +12,18 @@ jobs:
   goreleaser:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
       
-      - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+      - uses: actions/setup-go@40f1582b2485089dde7abd97c1529aa768e1baff # v5
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
       
       - name: Run GoReleaser
-        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v5
+        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@f06c13b6b1a9625abc9e6e439d9c05a8f2190e94 # v7.2.3
         with:
-          version: latest
+          version: v2.18.2
           args: release --clean
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3a919b3..519c345 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,3 +5,29 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+
+## [Unreleased] — planned as 1.4.0
+
+### Security
+- Scanning no longer runs programs configured in a repository's `.git/config`
+  (`core.fsmonitor`). Previously, scanning a folder containing a crafted repo
+  (e.g. an unzipped archive) could execute arbitrary code.
+- Status checks run with `--no-optional-locks`, so git-scope no longer
+  rewrites `.git/index` and cannot cause `index.lock` errors in your own git
+  commands. git-scope is now strictly read-only during scans.
+- Git never prompts for credentials during bulk fetch (`GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0`).
+- The install script verifies the archive's SHA-256 against the release's
+  `checksums.txt` and fails on HTTP errors.
+
+### Added
+- Attention summary and default Attention sort: repos ranked into
+  Action / Watch / Clean tiers (#36).
+- Bulk fetch across all repos with `F` (#31).
+- Ahead/behind commit columns (#16); repos ahead or behind count as dirty (#15).
+- Scoop installation on Windows (#22).
+- Page size adapts to terminal height (#21).
+
+### Fixed
+- `git-scope --version` reported `1.0.1` for every release: the version was
+  a `const`, which `-ldflags -X` cannot override.
+- The star nudge now tracks the real running version.
diff --git a/cmd/git-scope/main.go b/cmd/git-scope/main.go
index 6b90468..c56a4dd 100644
--- a/cmd/git-scope/main.go
+++ b/cmd/git-scope/main.go
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/browser"
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/config"
+	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/nudge"
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/scan"
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/tui"
 )
 
-const version = "1.0.1"
+// version is set at release time via -ldflags "-X main.version=…" (must be a var).
+var version = "dev"
 
 type options struct {
 	ConfigPath  string
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ func printVersion() {
 }
 
 func main() {
+	nudge.Version = version
 	flag.Usage = usage
 
 	opts := parseFlags()
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b573a85..1a6e356 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ module github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope
 
 go 1.26.0
 
+toolchain go1.26.8
+
 require (
 	github.com/charmbracelet/bubbles v0.18.0
 	github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea v0.26.0
diff --git a/internal/gitops/gitops.go b/internal/gitops/gitops.go
index c79d8d2..e5a4e9c 100644
--- a/internal/gitops/gitops.go
+++ b/internal/gitops/gitops.go
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ package gitops
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/gitstatus"
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/model"
 )
 
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ func fetchOne(repo model.Repo) ActionResult {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), fetchTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "git", "fetch", "--all", "--quiet")
-	cmd.Dir = repo.Path
+	cmd := gitstatus.Command(ctx, repo.Path, "fetch", "--all", "--quiet")
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
 		res.Status = StatusFailed
@@ -127,9 +126,7 @@ func fetchOne(repo model.Repo) ActionResult {
 
 // hasRemote reports whether the repository has at least one configured remote.
 func hasRemote(path string) bool {
-	cmd := exec.Command("git", "remote")
-	cmd.Dir = path
-	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	out, err := gitstatus.Command(context.Background(), path, "remote").Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return false
 	}
diff --git a/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus.go b/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus.go
index 6091569..748e46e 100644
--- a/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus.go
+++ b/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package gitstatus
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -43,12 +45,23 @@ func Status(repoPath string) (model.RepoStatus, error) {
 	return status, nil
 }
 
-// runGit is a helper that executes a git command with the given arguments
-// in the specified directory and returns its stdout output
-func runGit(dir string, args ...string) ([]byte, error) {
-	cmd := exec.Command("git", args...)
+// safeArgs neutralise repo config that would make a read turn into a write or
+// an exec: core.fsmonitor names a program git runs during status, and
+// --no-optional-locks stops status from rewriting .git/index.
+var safeArgs = []string{"-c", "core.fsmonitor=false", "--no-optional-locks"}
+
+// Command builds a git command that is safe to run inside repositories
+// git-scope did not create. Every git invocation should go through it.
+func Command(ctx context.Context, dir string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "git", append(append([]string{}, safeArgs...), args...)...)
 	cmd.Dir = dir
-	return cmd.Output()
+	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0")
+	return cmd
+}
+
+// runGit runs a git command in dir and returns its stdout.
+func runGit(dir string, args ...string) ([]byte, error) {
+	return Command(context.Background(), dir, args...).Output()
 }
 
 // applyBranchHeader parses porcelain v2 branch metadata lines and updates
diff --git a/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus_test.go b/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus_test.go
index a60ca5f..b208fd5 100644
--- a/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus_test.go
+++ b/internal/gitstatus/gitstatus_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/model"
@@ -170,3 +171,25 @@ func TestStatus_NonRepoReturnsError(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("expected error for non-git directory, got nil")
 	}
 }
+
+// A repo's own config must not be able to make git-scope execute code.
+// core.fsmonitor names a program git runs during `git status`.
+func TestStatus_IgnoresRepoFsmonitor(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("uses a shell script hook")
+	}
+	dir := initRepoWithCommit(t)
+	marker := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "executed")
+	hook := filepath.Join(dir, "hook.sh")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(hook, []byte("#!/bin/sh\ntouch "+marker+"\n"), 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	gitRun(t, dir, "config", "core.fsmonitor", hook)
+
+	if _, err := Status(dir); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Status: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(marker); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("core.fsmonitor from repo config was executed")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/nudge/nudge.go b/internal/nudge/nudge.go
index 926b7fc..e42959f 100644
--- a/internal/nudge/nudge.go
+++ b/internal/nudge/nudge.go
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
-// Version is the current app version - used to track per-version nudge
-const Version = "1.3.0"
+// Version is the running app version, set by main at startup; the nudge
+// shows at most once per version.
+var Version = "dev"
 
 // GitHubRepoURL is the URL to open when user presses S
 const GitHubRepoURL = "https://github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope"
diff --git a/internal/stats/contributions.go b/internal/stats/contributions.go
index 17107ef..a38ac7f 100644
--- a/internal/stats/contributions.go
+++ b/internal/stats/contributions.go
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 package stats
 
 import (
-	"os/exec"
+	"context"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/gitstatus"
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/model"
 )
 
@@ -50,9 +51,7 @@ func GetContributions(repos []model.Repo, weeks int) (*ContributionData, error)
 
 // getRepoCommits returns a list of commit dates (YYYY-MM-DD) from a repo
 func getRepoCommits(repoPath, sinceDate string) ([]string, error) {
-	cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "--since="+sinceDate, "--format=%ad", "--date=short")
-	cmd.Dir = repoPath
-	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	out, err := gitstatus.Command(context.Background(), repoPath, "log", "--since="+sinceDate, "--format=%ad", "--date=short").Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/stats/timeline.go b/internal/stats/timeline.go
index a852873..858d838 100644
--- a/internal/stats/timeline.go
+++ b/internal/stats/timeline.go
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 package stats
 
 import (
-	"os/exec"
+	"context"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/gitstatus"
 	"github.com/Bharath-code/git-scope/internal/model"
 )
 
@@ -69,9 +70,7 @@ func GetTimeline(repos []model.Repo) (*TimelineData, error) {
 
 // getLastCommitMessage gets the last commit message for a repo
 func getLastCommitMessage(repoPath string) string {
-	cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "-1", "--format=%s")
-	cmd.Dir = repoPath
-	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	out, err := gitstatus.Command(context.Background(), repoPath, "log", "-1", "--format=%s").Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 7687777..b169775 100644
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -83,10 +83,28 @@ main() {
     trap "rm -rf ${TMP_DIR}" EXIT
 
     # Download and extract
-    if ! curl -sSL "${DOWNLOAD_URL}" -o "${TMP_DIR}/archive.tar.gz"; then
+    if ! curl -fsSL "${DOWNLOAD_URL}" -o "${TMP_DIR}/archive.tar.gz"; then
         error "Failed to download. Check if the release exists for your platform."
     fi
 
+    CHECKSUMS_URL="https://github.com/${REPO}/releases/download/${VERSION}/checksums.txt"
+    if ! curl -fsSL "${CHECKSUMS_URL}" -o "${TMP_DIR}/checksums.txt"; then
+        error "Failed to download checksums.txt; refusing to install an unverified binary."
+    fi
+    EXPECTED=$(grep " ${ARCHIVE_NAME}\$" "${TMP_DIR}/checksums.txt" | awk '{print $1}')
+    if [ -z "$EXPECTED" ]; then
+        error "No checksum listed for ${ARCHIVE_NAME}."
+    fi
+    if command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        ACTUAL=$(sha256sum "${TMP_DIR}/archive.tar.gz" | awk '{print $1}')
+    else
+        ACTUAL=$(shasum -a 256 "${TMP_DIR}/archive.tar.gz" | awk '{print $1}')
+    fi
+    if [ "$EXPECTED" != "$ACTUAL" ]; then
+        error "Checksum mismatch for ${ARCHIVE_NAME} (expected ${EXPECTED}, got ${ACTUAL})."
+    fi
+    info "Checksum verified."
+
     tar xzf "${TMP_DIR}/archive.tar.gz" -C "${TMP_DIR}"
 
     # Create install directory if it doesn't exist