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+---
+id: USER-WP-0038
+type: workplan
+title: "Runtime image OS-package hardening for RISK-F-0016"
+domain: communication
+repo: user-engine
+status: ready
+owner: codex
+topic_slug: communication
+created: "2026-10-14"
+updated: "2026-10-14"
+related:
+  - RISK-F-0016
+  - RAPP-USER-ENGINE-WP-0004
+  - USER-WP-ADHOC-2026-10-11
+---
+
+# Runtime image OS-package hardening
+
+Durable owner record for the permanent fix of RiskNexus finding RISK-F-0016
+(`~/risk-nexus/findings/RISK-F-0016-user-engine-os-runtime-findings.md`).
+RAPP-USER-ENGINE-WP-0004 tracked the runtime-package rollout only and is
+closing; image content is user-engine source work and is owned here.
+
+Baseline: live image
+`forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/user-engine@sha256:f239bbf332b8eb87320c86390fddca1dcb4f7c628a7af75e79dee8058d446a7b`
+on Python 3.12 slim-trixie base `a6e34c59`
+(`docs/evidence/2026-10-11-runtime-base-refresh.md`). Fresh scan 2026-10-14
+(rapp-user-engine 7567e7e, `docs/evidence/2026-10-14-risk-review/`): 0 CRITICAL,
+44 HIGH across 8 CVEs, none with a fixed version.
+
+## Remove or replace unfixed-HIGH OS packages in the runtime image
+
+```task
+id: USER-WP-0038-T01
+status: todo
+priority: high
+```
+
+Target the 2026-10-14 HIGH set: util-linux family (bsdutils, mount, libblkid,
+libmount, libuuid, related) CVE-2026-76642/78408/78409/78410 (36 occurrences);
+ncurses CVE-2025-69720 (4); libsystemd0 CVE-2026-16742 (2); libacl1
+CVE-2026-54369; perl-base CVE-2026-9538 (fix_deferred). Either prune packages
+the runtime does not need from the final stage, or move to a supported smaller
+Python 3.12 base (distroless/chainguard-style), preserving exact application
+bytes and resolved dependency versions. No scanner suppression, ignore-unfixed
+or allowlist may be used to reach acceptance.
+
+Acceptance: clean owner CI publication of a new digest from a committed source
+revision with provenance; unsuppressed fresh scan shows zero CRITICAL and every
+remaining HIGH either resolved or individually dispositioned with reason; full
+source and image test suites pass. Live rollout is out of scope: hand the digest
+to rapp-user-engine as a separate, scoped approval. Then update RISK-F-0016
+fix_tracking to this task.