GitLab introduces early-access checks to block risky build dependencies

GitLab introduced Dependency Firewall in early access for GitLab.com and Self-Managed customers on Premium or Ultimate plans. The company says the tool checks software packages against security and compliance policies before they enter a build, including dependencies selected by AI coding agents. Teams can start in warn mode, which records policy matches while allowing builds to continue, then switch to block mode to stop pipelines. Designated users or tokens can make logged bypasses. Policies inherit from parent groups, with the strictest overlapping rule applying. Command-line checks let developers test whether a package would pass before adding it.