macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install cargo-geigerlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install cargo-geiger with Homebrew, apk, Nix, pacman
Detects usage of unsafe Rust in a Rust crate and its dependencies. Version 0.13.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add cargo-geigerAlpine Linux edge package indexes · cargo-geiger · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#cargo-geigernixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ca/cargo-geiger/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S cargo-geigerArch Linux sync databases · cargo-geiger · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Detects usage of unsafe Rust in a Rust crate and its dependencies
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cargo-geiger
history
Project history and usage
cargo-geiger is a Cargo subcommand that reports unsafe Rust usage in a crate and its dependency graph. Its name references a Geiger counter: unsafe code is treated as something worth detecting, measuring, and containing.
The project is intentionally framed as audit input, not an automatic security verdict. Its README warns that unsafe usage is nuanced and that reports should be handled carefully.
Project history
The cargo-geiger repository and crate were created in June 2018. The README says the tool was originally based on code from cargo-osha and cargo-tree, combining unsafe-code scanning with dependency-tree traversal.
Over time the project split reusable pieces into library crates, including `geiger` and `cargo-geiger-serde`. The changelog records substantial dependency-graph work in 0.11.0 using cargo_metadata and JSON/report serialization improvements.
Adoption history
cargo-geiger found a niche in Rust security review and supply-chain auditing, especially among developers interested in minimizing or documenting unsafe code in dependencies.
The README points users toward cargo-crev and safety-dance as audit contexts where cargo-geiger statistics can help. That positioning kept it from becoming a simplistic 'unsafe equals bad' badge while still making unsafe usage visible.
How it is used
Usage is intentionally simple: run `cargo geiger` from the directory containing the `Cargo.toml` to analyze. The tool reports unsafe-code statistics for the crate and dependencies.
The README documents installation with `cargo install --locked cargo-geiger`, an optional vendored OpenSSL build, and prebuilt GitHub releases.
Why package nerds care
cargo-geiger is package-nerd significant because it made unsafe-code exposure a transitive package property that could be inspected like licenses, advisories, or dependency trees.
It also shows Rust's audit culture maturing: package metadata alone is not enough, so tools emerged to summarize source-level risk signals across the dependency graph.
Timeline
- 2018-06-20: GitHub repository created and cargo-geiger 0.1.0 published to crates.io.
- 2018-2019: Project builds on cargo-osha and cargo-tree ideas to scan crates and dependencies for unsafe usage.
- 2020: 0.11.0 changelog records dependency-graph exploration through cargo_metadata and adds JSON/report serialization pieces.
- 2026: Project remains active under geiger-rs with more than 190,000 crates.io downloads.
Related projects
- cargo-osha and cargo-tree are named by the README as original sources of code or ideas.
- cargo-crev and safety-dance are named as audit workflows where cargo-geiger output can provide statistical input.
- cargo_metadata became important to cargo-geiger's dependency-graph handling, according to the changelog.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cargo-geiger | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.13.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedcargo-geiger-0.13.0
https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:cargo-geiger |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.13.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cargo-geiger |
| Homepage | https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger |
| Repository | https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger#readme |
| License | Apache-2.0 OR MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger/archive/refs/tags/cargo-geiger-0.13.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:02:57-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | openssl@3 |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf, rust |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | cargo-geiger |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
cargo-geiger
nix profile install nixpkgs#cargo-geiger- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Cargo Geiger
apk95%
cargo-geiger 0.13.0-r0
Detects usage of unsafe Rust in a Rust crate and its dependencies.
https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger
sudo apk add cargo-geiger- License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: cargo-geiger
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Cargo Geiger
apk95%
cargo-geiger-doc 0.13.0-r0
Detects usage of unsafe Rust in a Rust crate and its dependencies. (documentation)
https://github.com/geiger-rs/cargo-geiger
sudo apk add cargo-geiger-doc- License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: cargo-geiger
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Cargo Geiger
pacman95%
cargo-geiger 0.13.0-1
Detects usage of unsafe Rust in a Rust crate and its dependencies
https://github.com/rust-secure-code/cargo-geiger
sudo pacman -S cargo-geiger- License: MIT AND Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Cargo Geiger
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment