diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index a91454d4b..db0dd83cd 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,14 @@ updates:
       # SHA-form re-bump attempt bypassed versions-scoped ignores — see
       # nexia-list#101/#104). Hold until upstream clears 4.38.1 or a newer
       # release verifies green; revisit deliberately, not weekly.
-      - dependency-name: "github/codeql-action"
+      #
+      # The trailing * is load-bearing. Workflows reference the SUBPATH
+      # actions (github/codeql-action/init, /analyze, /upload-sarif) and
+      # Dependabot treats each subpath as its own dependency name -- so a
+      # bare "github/codeql-action" entry matches NONE of them. That is how
+      # #977 re-bumped 4.38.0 -> 4.38.1 on 2026-09-22 straight through this
+      # hold, startup-killing codeql.yml and scorecard.yml (jobs=0).
+      - dependency-name: "github/codeql-action*"
     # github-actions major bumps are usually safe — the SHA pin is the real
     # version. Standards repo is the canonical-template host so we want the
     # PRs fast (daily) and grouped. If a specific action proves unstable on
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql-reusable.yml
index 9f0158d41..4e13fa00d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql-reusable.yml
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Initialize CodeQL
-        uses: github/codeql-action/init@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
+        uses: github/codeql-action/init@b96794f015dfd88f77b49b1c93e0fa7110f94c63 # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
         with:
           languages: ${{ inputs.language }}
           build-mode: ${{ inputs.build-mode }}
 
       - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
-        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
+        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@b96794f015dfd88f77b49b1c93e0fa7110f94c63 # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
         with:
           category: "/language:${{ inputs.language }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan-reusable.yml
index 313f8679d..e4dc53f84 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan-reusable.yml
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ jobs:
         # This flag only tolerates a genuine upload failure (e.g. Advanced
         # Security disabled on a private repo) once the job is actually running.
         continue-on-error: true
-        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
+        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@b96794f015dfd88f77b49b1c93e0fa7110f94c63 # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
         with:
           sarif_file: hypatia.sarif
           category: hypatia
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scorecard-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/scorecard-reusable.yml
index 1f9da93f6..7fa7240c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scorecard-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scorecard-reusable.yml
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ jobs:
             printf 'reconciled=false\n' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
       - name: Upload SARIF to code scanning
-        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v3
+        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@b96794f015dfd88f77b49b1c93e0fa7110f94c63 # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
         with:
           sarif_file: ${{ steps.select-sarif.outputs.file }}
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ jobs:
             printf 'reconciled=false\n' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
       - name: Upload SARIF to code scanning
-        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@1c5b675653bb5c22dbe9b12b556ec555138e09fd # v4.38.1
+        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@b96794f015dfd88f77b49b1c93e0fa7110f94c63 # v4.38.0 (4.38.1 blocked estate-wide; nexia-list#100)
         with:
           sarif_file: ${{ steps.select-sarif.outputs.file }}
       - name: Retain scan evidence