We actively maintain and provide security updates for the following versions of Physics Application Suite:

We take the security of Physics Application Suite seriously. If you discover a security vulnerability, please follow these steps:

1. Email: Send detailed information to security@physics-application-suite.org (if you have a security contact email)
2. GitHub Issues: For non-sensitive security issues, you can create a GitHub issue
3. Direct Contact: Contact the maintainers directly through the project repository

When reporting a vulnerability, please include:

• Description: Clear description of the vulnerability
• Steps to Reproduce: Detailed steps to reproduce the issue
• Impact Assessment: Your assessment of the potential impact
• Environment Details:
  • Operating System (Windows/macOS/Linux)
  • Python version
  • PyQt5 version
  • Physics Application Suite version
• Proof of Concept: If possible, provide a minimal example

• Initial Response: Within 48 hours of report
• Assessment: Security team will assess within 5 business days
• Fix Timeline: Critical issues will be addressed within 14 days
• Public Disclosure: Coordinated disclosure after fix is available

Physics Application Suite includes comprehensive security measures:

• MainApplicationSanitizer: Validates and sanitizes all user inputs
• PhysicsSanitizer: Specialized validation for physics calculations
• Range Checking: All numeric inputs are bounded within safe ranges
• String Sanitization: Removes potentially dangerous characters and control sequences
• Path Validation: Secure file system operations with path normalization

• Project Files: JSON-based project files with input validation
• Export Functions: Secure file export with sanitized filenames
• Import Validation: Comprehensive validation of imported project data

• Numeric Bounds: All calculations bounded to prevent overflow/underflow
• Error Handling: Comprehensive exception handling for edge cases
• Resource Management: Proper cleanup of matplotlib figures and Qt resources

1. Trusted Sources: Only install Physics Application Suite from official sources
2. Project Files: Only open project files from trusted sources
3. File Permissions: Ensure appropriate file permissions for project directories
4. Python Environment: Keep your Python installation and dependencies updated

• Local Processing: All calculations are performed locally on your machine
• No Network Activity: The application doesn't transmit data over networks
• Project Data: User project data remains on local storage only

• Python Version: Use Python 3.11 or newer for latest security patches
• Dependencies: Keep PyQt5, matplotlib, and numpy updated to latest stable versions
• Operating System: Ensure your OS has latest security updates

If you're contributing to or modifying the codebase:

1. Input Validation: Always use the provided sanitizer classes
2. Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling
3. Code Review: Security-focused code reviews for all changes
4. Testing: Include security test cases for new features

• Network Isolation: Consider running in isolated environments for classroom use
• User Permissions: Run with appropriate user permissions (avoid administrator privileges)
• File Access: Monitor file system access in shared environments

• Extreme Values: The application handles extreme physics values safely through input bounds
• Mathematical Operations: Protected against division by zero and invalid mathematical operations
• Memory Usage: Large dataset visualizations are memory-managed appropriately

• Input Fields: All GUI input fields have validation and sanitization
• File Dialogs: File selection dialogs use Qt's secure file handling
• Window Management: Proper window lifecycle management prevents resource leaks

We regularly monitor our dependencies for security vulnerabilities:

• PyQt5: GUI framework security updates
• matplotlib: Plotting library security patches
• numpy: Numerical computing library updates
• Python Standard Library: Core Python security updates

This educational software follows standard security practices for:

• Desktop Applications: Standard desktop application security guidelines
• Educational Software: FERPA and educational privacy considerations
• Open Source: Transparent security practices through open source code

For security-related questions or concerns:

• Project Maintainers: Through GitHub repository
• General Security: Create an issue with the "security" label
• Urgent Issues: Contact maintainers directly

We appreciate responsible disclosure and will acknowledge security researchers who help improve the security of Physics Application Suite.

Note: This is educational software designed for physics learning. While we implement robust security measures, users should follow standard security practices for any desktop application.

Last Updated: February 2026