Semantic Kernel

Integrate cutting-edge LLM technology quickly and easily into your apps

Agent Frameworks C# Listed MIT

Is Semantic Kernel safe? Promising trust profile, but some evidence still deserves review.

OSSF Scorecard 5.6 / 10
Provenance None
Signed commits 100%
Last push 2d ago
Advisories None known
Compare Semantic Kernel

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In detail: Semantic Kernel scores 65.7/100 (Grade B), ranked #459 of 1371 tracked open-source AI agent projects, on evidence coverage A (4 of 5 independent signal types). The public evidence: no package-provenance attestation found; OSSF Scorecard rates its supply-chain practices 5.6/10; 100% of recent commits are signed; no published advisory affects its latest release (semantic-kernel); last pushed 2026-10-07. Every point is earned from checkable signals — never paid placement. How scoring works →

How Semantic Kernel could raise its score

Each line changes one public signal and recomputes with the live scoring function. The gains don't add up exactly, because the score is capped near the top.

Chain of custody

Scanners check what the code says. This traces who ships Semantic Kernel and whether that has changed: from the source repository, through how changes are reviewed and released, to the package you install. These are the checks for OWASP ASI04 Agentic Supply Chain Vulnerabilities.

  1. Source Signed

    github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel, MIT, last pushed 2026-10-07. 100% of the last 100 commits carry a verified signature, so changes trace to a verified account.

  2. Review and release Mixed

    OpenSSF Scorecard rates the repository's practices 5.6/10 (scanned Oct 8, 2026). The checks that decide who can get a change released:

    • Code Review9
    • Branch Protection8
    • Signed Releases0
    • Dangerous Workflow0
    • Token Permissions0
    • Pinned Dependencies8
    All 18 Scorecard checks
    Binary-Artifacts 10
    Branch-Protection 8
    CI-Tests 10
    CII-Best-Practices 2
    Code-Review 9
    Contributors 10
    Dangerous-Workflow 0
    Dependency-Update-Tool 10
    Fuzzing 0
    License 10
    Maintained 10
    Packaging -1
    Pinned-Dependencies 8
    SAST 7
    Security-Policy 10
    Signed-Releases 0
    Token-Permissions 0
    Vulnerabilities 0
  3. Published packages Not linked

    • PyPI semantic-kernel Source link isn't a GitHub repo No build attestation

    Without a build attestation, nothing proves the published files were built from this repository.

  4. What you install today No known advisories

    Latest release checked: semantic-kernel 1.45.0. No published advisory affects it (OSV, checked 2026-10-09).

Changes to this chain

No change to package provenance, package source links, Scorecard coverage or license in HVTracker's daily snapshots of Semantic Kernel.

Evidence behind this score

Coverage A: 4 of 5 independent evidence types found.

  • GitHub repository data
  • Package downloads
  • Supply-chain checks
  • Public actions (missing)
  • Community mentions

Verify this score yourself

Every build re-issues Semantic Kernel’s score as an Ed25519-signed credential, valid for 7 days. You can check it offline against HVTracker’s published key; if anyone changes a number after signing, verification fails.

What this score doesn’t check

It covers who ships the code, not what the code does. It doesn’t read tool descriptions or prompts for injected instructions, watch runtime behaviour, or find bugs nobody has disclosed yet. For that, run a content scanner before you connect it, such as Cisco MCP Scanner or Snyk Agent Scan.

How Semantic Kernel compares in Agent Frameworks

  1. #37 Marvin 66.0 +0.3
  2. #38 AutoGPT 65.9 +0.2
  3. #39 Semantic Kernel 65.7 this agent
  4. #40 Mastra 65.6 −0.1
  5. #41 TrueForge 65.5 −0.2

Bars show each HVTrust score; the tick marks Semantic Kernel’s 65.7.

Where the 65.7 comes from

HVTrust dimensions vs the Agent Frameworks average

65.7 / 100 · 100.0% confidence

Semantic Kernel Agent Frameworks average (129 agents)

Safety / Integrity50% OSSF Scorecard · 30% provenance · 20% signed commits
12.0 / 25
2.5 above avg 9.5
Identity / Provenance60% listing status · 40% build provenance
10.8 / 18
0.8 below avg 11.6
Transparency50% declared license · 50% OSSF Scorecard
13.3 / 17
1.3 above avg 12.0
Maintenance60% last-push freshness · 40% commit activity
17.1 / 20
3.5 above avg 13.6
AdoptionLog-scaled stars · package downloads
17.1 / 20
6.3 above avg 10.8

Quick Trust Read

What Would Improve It
Publish package provenance or release attestations for stronger supply-chain evidence.
Recent Changes
2026-10-06
Rank Moved
Rank rose 15 spots (#457 → #442)
2026-10-05
Rank Moved
Rank rose 18 spots (#475 → #457)
2026-10-04
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 12 spots (#463 → #475)
Maintainer Checklist
Raise Scorecard signals Current OSSF Scorecard is 5.6/10. Tighten the weakest checks to improve public safety evidence.
Publish provenance Add package provenance or release attestations so users can verify where shipped artifacts came from.
84.9
Activity sub-score · out of 100
#39

How to read this: HVTrust (0–100) weighs supply-chain signals (provenance, OSSF Scorecard, signed commits, open license) alongside real-world adoption. Grade B reflects the trust score band: A ≥ 80, B ≥ 65, C ≥ 50, D < 50. Evidence coverage A is separate — it grades how many independent signal types back the score (4 of 5), so a high score on thin evidence stays visible. Full methodology →

Signals refreshed 2026-10-09 08:15 UTC · Repo last pushed 2 days ago

Rank Trend

2026-09-29 2026-10-09

Activity & Reach

Stars
28.6k
Forks
4.8k
Last Push
2026-10-07
2 days ago
Commits (4 wk)
19
Downloads (7d)
68,491
pypi
HN mentions (30d)
1
Open Issues
129
Rank Change
▼5
was #454

Analysis

Activity Inputs

84.9 / 100
StarsRepository reach
26.7 / 30
FreshnessLast push recency
24.7 / 25
ActivityRecent commits
16.2 / 25
CommunityFork signal
17.1 / 20

Common questions about Semantic Kernel

Semantic Kernel has a mixed signal profile. Some trust indicators are present, others are missing. Whether it is safe for your use case depends on which gaps matter to you — review the breakdown below before adopting in production.
Does Semantic Kernel publish package provenance?
No published build provenance is currently detected for Semantic Kernel. This is common for open-source projects but means consumers cannot independently verify that the package on the registry matches the GitHub source.
Does Semantic Kernel have an OpenSSF Scorecard?
Semantic Kernel has an OpenSSF Scorecard score of 5.6/10. The Scorecard checks for branch protection, signed releases, dependency updates, fuzzing, code review, and other supply-chain hygiene items. See the full check breakdown on this page.
Is Semantic Kernel actively maintained?
Actively maintained. The repository was pushed to within the last 2 day(s).
What license does Semantic Kernel use?
Semantic Kernel ships under MIT. A declared, OSI-approved license is one of the transparency signals HVTrust scores.
Are Semantic Kernel's commits signed?
100% of the last 100 commits to Semantic Kernel are verified-signed (GPG, SSH, S/MIME, or GitHub's signing flow). Signed commits help confirm that code was authored by who the commit claims.

Not a safety endorsement. HVTracker describes what public signals show, not whether a project is safe for your use case. Run your own security review before adopting in production.

AI agent surface

MCP, providers, tool surface
Scored in HVTrust

These runtime-trust fields — detected from public repo docs and manifests — contribute a bounded adjustment to this project's HVTrust score alongside supply-chain evidence. The exact values each field can add or subtract are documented in the methodology → Compare this surface across every listed agent in the capability matrix →

MCP Server Support
medium confidence
Declared
MCP support appears present, but direct server implementation is less certain.
Detailed evidence is not shown in the public view.
External Service Dependencies
high confidence
11 detected
Public provider/service dependencies detected.
Credential signal: API keys or service config markers documented.
Tool / Plugin Surface
high confidence
Declared
Declared plugin/integration surface detected.
  • database
Detailed evidence is not shown in the public view.
Package Provenance Drift
low confidence
Unknown
Package source metadata is missing or inconclusive
Detailed evidence is not shown in the public view.
  • MCP signal live
  • External deps live
  • Tool / plugin surface live
  • Package provenance drift live

Maintain Semantic Kernel?

For maintainers

HVTrust scores Semantic Kernel from public signals only — we never contact maintainers first. If a signal is wrong, stale, or missing (provenance you publish, a Scorecard you run, signed releases), tell us and we'll review it. Corrections are public and tracked on GitHub.

Reputation Timeline

Signal history
Rank 26Grade 2
2026-10-06
Rank Moved
Rank rose 15 spots (#457 → #442)
2026-10-05
Rank Moved
Rank rose 18 spots (#475 → #457)
2026-10-04
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 12 spots (#463 → #475)
2026-10-03
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 18 spots (#445 → #463)
2026-09-30
Rank Moved
Rank rose 13 spots (#462 → #449)
2026-09-28
Grade Changed
Trust grade C → B
2026-09-28
Rank Moved
Rank rose 17 spots (#486 → #469)
2026-09-26
Grade Changed
Trust grade B → C
2026-09-26
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 13 spots (#466 → #479)
2026-09-25
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 16 spots (#450 → #466)
2026-09-23
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 272 spots (#173 → #445)
2026-09-21
Rank Moved
Rank rose 264 spots (#438 → #174)
2026-09-07
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 16 spots (#373 → #389)
2026-09-05
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 68 spots (#297 → #365)
2026-09-04
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 43 spots (#254 → #297)
2026-08-31
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 24 spots (#224 → #248)
2026-08-29
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 13 spots (#219 → #232)
2026-08-27
Rank Moved
Rank rose 12 spots (#224 → #212)
2026-08-26
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 15 spots (#209 → #224)
2026-08-24
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 15 spots (#197 → #212)
2026-08-22
Rank Moved
Rank rose 11 spots (#209 → #198)
2026-08-19
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 13 spots (#191 → #204)
2026-08-17
Rank Moved
Rank rose 18 spots (#211 → #193)
2026-08-13
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 20 spots (#185 → #205)
2026-08-12
Rank Moved
Rank rose 15 spots (#200 → #185)
2026-08-10
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 13 spots (#189 → #202)
2026-08-08
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 33 spots (#156 → #189)
2026-07-13
Rank Moved
Rank dropped 16 spots (#106 → #122)

Embed Badge Badge guide for maintainers →

For maintainers
HVTrust 65.7 Grade B
Markdown:
[![HVTrust](https://hvtracker.net/badge/semantic-kernel.svg)](https://hvtracker.net/agents/semantic-kernel)
HTML:
<a href="https://hvtracker.net/agents/semantic-kernel"><img src="https://hvtracker.net/badge/semantic-kernel.svg" alt="HVTrust"></a>

Other agents in Agent Frameworks

Data sources
GitHub REST API (repo, commits, stars, forks, license) · PyPI / pypistats (downloads, provenance) · OpenSSF Scorecard CLI · Algolia HN Search API
Each agent's signals refresh once daily across 6 staggered batches. Methodology v4.4 · Raw JSON