diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 1918e23..3ce25d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
   pull_request:
 
+# Least privilege: jobs only read the repo.
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -16,6 +20,8 @@ jobs:
           - "3.13"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 1fb9560..5418702 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ on:
   pull_request:
   workflow_call:
 
+# Least privilege: jobs only read the repo.
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   lint:
     strategy:
@@ -18,6 +22,8 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
@@ -44,6 +50,8 @@ jobs:
           - "3.13"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
@@ -58,6 +66,8 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml b/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml
index f4f9bd7..9bbf316 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml
@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Download release artifacts
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        run: gh release download "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}" --dir dist --repo "${{ github.repository }}"
+          TAG: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
+        run: gh release download "$TAG" --dir dist --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY"
       - uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@dc37677b2e1c63e2034f94d8a5b11f265b73ba33 # v1.14.2
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/template/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 4fca695..945cb2b 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ on:
         type: string
         default: "rc"
 
+# Least privilege: read-only by default; the release job widens its own token.
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   ci:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/ci.yaml