Selenium

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Selenium is a free, open source software suite that allows users to automate web browsers across platforms primarily for application testing but can also automate web-based administration tasks. This technology is supported by different browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Google Chrome. Selenium provides record and playback functionality supported in Firefox and Chrome.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v22.1
Decision Date:	01/11/2022
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Selenium.org

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.x	05/28/2009
2.x	07/29/2015
3.x	02/16/2017
3.1.x	03/11/2017
3.6.x	09/27/2017
3.11.x	03/03/2018
3.13.x	06/25/2018
3.141.x	11/14/2018
3.150.x	08/22/2019
4.0.x	10/13/2021
4.1.x	11/22/2021

Current Decision Matrix (01/07/2022)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a STAT review is conducted and signed by Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS), Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the Strategic Technology Alignment Team (STAT) Working Group (WG), has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2021

CY2022

CY2023

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

1.x

Unapproved

2.x

Unapproved

3.x

Unapproved

3.1.x

Unapproved

3.6.x

Unapproved

3.11.x

Unapproved

3.13.x

Unapproved

3.141.x

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 10, 12, 13]

Divest
[6, 10, 13, 14]

Unapproved

3.150.x

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 10, 12, 13]

Divest
[6, 10, 13, 14]

Unapproved

4.0.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 10, 13, 14]

4.1.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 10, 13, 14]

Decision Constraints


[1]	This Technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population.

[2]	One optional component of the Selenium suite, Selenium IDE, is only available as a Firefox plug-in. Since Firefox is an unapproved technology on the TRM, Selenium IDE is also unapproved until plug-ins for TRM approved browsers become available.

[3]	Known security vulnerabilities must be properly remediated prior to product deployment. Product must remain properly patched per Federal and Department standards in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities. The Selenium IDE utility (one component of Selenium) is only available as a Firefox plug-in. Since Firefox is an unapproved technology on the TRM, Selenium IDE is also unapproved until plug-ins for TRM approved browsers become available.

[4]	As of April 23, 2015, per the Deputy CIO of Architecture, Strategy and Design (ASD), all technologies in use by the VA require an assessment by the VA Section 508 office. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 is a federal law that sets the guidelines for technology accessibility. A VA Section 508 assessment of this technology has not been completed at the time of publication. Therefore, as of April 23, 2015 only users of this technology who have deployed the technology to the production environment, or have project design and implementation plans approved, may continue to operate this technology. In the case of a project that has implemented, or been approved for a specific site or number of users, and that project needs to expand operations to other sites or to an increased user base, it may do so as long as the project stays on the existing version of the technology that was approved or implemented as of April 22, 2015. Use of this technology in all other cases is prohibited.

[5]	The Selenium IDE utility (one component of Selenium) is only available as a Firefox plug-in. Since Firefox is an unapproved technology for certain OS platforms on the TRM, Selenium IDE is also unapproved where Firefox is unapproved until plug-ins for TRM approved browsers become available.

[6]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[7]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[8]	The Selenium IDE utility (one component of Selenium) is only available as a Firefox plug-in. Since Firefox is an unapproved technology for certain OS platform versions on the TRM, Selenium IDE is also unapproved where Firefox is unapproved until plug-ins for TRM approved browsers become available.

[9]	The Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE) utility (one component of Selenium) is only available as a Firefox plug-in. Since Firefox is an unapproved technology for certain OS platform versions on the TRM, Selenium IDE is also unapproved where Firefox is unapproved until plug-ins for TRM approved browsers become available.

[10]	Browser plug-ins and extensions may only be installed by VA IT Operations (ITOPS) and must be used with official VA browser installation packages that are managed by ITOPS. For installation, contact the National Service Desk [Mail Group: National Service Desk - Austin]. Browser extensions must be kept up to date with security patches and enhancements.

[11]	Role Based Access Controls should be strictly enforced and the software should only be utilized for testing purposes.

[12]	This technology must use the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle. Administrator/installer should ensure that Selenium IDE is obtained from the authentic Google Chrome webstore with a verifiable web certificate. Users must ensure the use of a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic module to secure VA sensitive data in applications and devices that use the Selenium IDE plugin.

[13]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[14]	This technology must use the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle. Users must Divest the use of Internet Explorer with this technology. Other approved internet browsers are available. See Category Tab for details. Users must ensure that Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Ensure use of a FIPS 140-2 certified cryptographic module to secure VA sensitive data in applications and devices that use the Selenium IDE plugin. System administrators should be vigilant to ensure the version of Selenium IDE remains updated and properly patched to mitigate unknown and future vulnerabilities as new versions are released at least 2-3 times per month. Given that there is a lack of formal enterprise level support, it is important that administrators continuously monitor systems running Selenium IDE as well as Selenium’s GitHub page. The CSP should instruct the browser to disallow potentially unsafe practices, such as the use of eval(). Selenium IDE uses permissions that give the extension access to all hosts. It may be possible to avoid declaring any host permissions by using the activeTab permission. Selenium IDE also uses the webRequest, tabs, storage, WebNavigation, and downloads permissions. In many circumstances extensions will not need to declare the these permissions to make use of these APIs. Administrator/installer should ensure that Selenium IDE is obtained from the authentic Google Chrome webstore with a verifiable web certificate. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 4.1.0 is the most current version and was released 11/22/2021.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Downloads Page		This webpage provides downloads for the Selenium software and additional components.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Selenium Grid	Selenium Grid allows users to run tests on different machines against different browsers in parallel. That is, running multiple tests at the same time against different machines running different browsers and operating systems. To access the download for this component, please visit the "Downloads Page" via the references tab on this entry.
Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE)	Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a prototyping feature for building test scripts. It is a Firefox plugin and provides an easy-to-use interface for developing automated tests. Selenium IDE has a recording feature, which records user actions as they are performed and then exports them as a reusable script in one of many programming languages that can be later executed.
Selenium Integrated Development Environment Runner (SIDE)	The Selenium Integrated Development Environment Runner (SIDE) is a command line utility that allows you to run a project .side file, created using Selenium IDE, on a Node.js platform.
Selenium WebDriver	Selenium WebDriver accepts commands and sends them to a browser. This is implemented through a browser-specific browser driver, which sends commands to a browser, and retrieves results. Most browser drivers actually launch and access a browser application. To access the download for this component, please visit the "Downloads Page" via the references tab on this entry.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Application Technology Application Testing Software	Functional Testing Tools

Open Source

This entry is available as an open source technology.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature technology.
This is a well-documented technology.
This technology is available at no cost through open source licensing and supports VA`s open source initiative.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include application testing and overseeing automated web-based administrative tasks.

Adoption Risks

There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) and VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) vulnerabilities. Please see https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/search for more details.
This technology may contain Browser Plug-ins and Extensions.
This technology relies on Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle, which has a rapid release and update schedule.
The product is not Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified.
Selenium IDE does not store data, nor does it require the use of a database to perform. When installed, the product resides within the Google Chrome browser with frequent updates.
As an open source product, Selenium IDE for Chrome offers community support by way of GitHub, Google Groups, Slack, and Selenium’s Internet Relay Chat (irc) channel.
The axe Expert Chrome Extension Content Security Policy (CSP) uses ‘unsafe-eval’. `unsafe-eval` allows the execution of code injected into DOM APIs such as eval().
CRXcavator.io scan found three critical risks, one high risk and three medium risks.
Selenium IDE could be downloaded from a spoofed or unauthorized source and thus introduce malware to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) network.
Microsoft Internet Explorer, a dependency of this technology, is in a Divested status at the time of writing.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

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VA Technical Reference Model v 22.1

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/07/2022)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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VA Technical Reference Model v 22.1

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/07/2022)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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