ci(release): auto-create minor release branch and lift freeze on publish

Create the minor release branch automatically in the release preparation workflow, check versions before creating it, match the version literally, and lift the release freeze when the release is published.

.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml

@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ jobs:
         fi
 
     - name: Checkout release branch
+      env:
+        GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROWLER_BOT_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
       run: |
         echo "Checking out branch $BRANCH_NAME for release $PROWLER_VERSION..."
         if git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$BRANCH_NAME"; then
@@ -92,8 +94,32 @@ jobs:
         elif git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/remotes/origin/$BRANCH_NAME"; then
           echo "Branch $BRANCH_NAME exists remotely, checking out..."
           git checkout -b "$BRANCH_NAME" "origin/$BRANCH_NAME"
+        elif [ "$PATCH_VERSION" -eq 0 ]; then
+          # Only cut the branch once the compiled changelogs are on master
+          MASTER_SHA=$(git rev-parse origin/master)
+          VERSION_REGEX="${PROWLER_VERSION//./\\.}"
+          FOUND_CHANGELOG=false
+          for changelog in prowler/CHANGELOG.md api/CHANGELOG.md ui/CHANGELOG.md mcp_server/CHANGELOG.md; do
+            if git show "origin/master:$changelog" 2>/dev/null | grep -qE "^## \[.*\(Prowler v?${VERSION_REGEX}\)"; then
+              FOUND_CHANGELOG=true
+              break
+            fi
+          done
+          if [ "$FOUND_CHANGELOG" != "true" ]; then
+            echo "ERROR: No changelog entry for Prowler $PROWLER_VERSION on master. Merge the compiled changelogs PR first."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          # Check the SDK version on master before creating the remote branch
+          if ! git show "origin/master:pyproject.toml" | grep -qE "^version = \"${VERSION_REGEX}\"$" \
+            || ! git show "origin/master:prowler/config/config.py" | grep -qE "^prowler_version = \"${VERSION_REGEX}\"$"; then
+            echo "ERROR: pyproject.toml or prowler/config/config.py on master is not at version $PROWLER_VERSION. Fix master before creating $BRANCH_NAME."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "Branch $BRANCH_NAME does not exist, creating it from master ($MASTER_SHA)..."
+          gh api --method POST "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/refs" -f ref="refs/heads/${BRANCH_NAME}" -f sha="${MASTER_SHA}"
+          git checkout -b "$BRANCH_NAME" "$MASTER_SHA"
         else
-          echo "ERROR: Branch $BRANCH_NAME does not exist. For minor releases (X.Y.0), create it manually first. For patch releases (X.Y.Z), the branch should already exist."
+          echo "ERROR: Branch $BRANCH_NAME does not exist. For patch releases (X.Y.Z), the branch should already exist."
           exit 1
         fi
 
@@ -390,4 +416,3 @@ jobs:
       if: always()
       run: |
         rm -f prowler_changelog.md api_changelog.md ui_changelog.md mcp_changelog.md combined_changelog.md
-

.github/workflows/release-freeze-lift.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+name: 'Tools: Release Freeze Lift'
+
+run-name: 'Lift release freeze after Prowler ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}'
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types:
+      - 'published'
+
+permissions: {}
+
+jobs:
+  release-freeze-lift:
+    if: github.repository == 'prowler-cloud/prowler' && !github.event.release.prerelease
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
+        uses: step-security/harden-runner@bf7454d06d71f1098171f2acdf0cd4708d7b5920 # v2.20.0
+        with:
+          egress-policy: audit
+
+      - name: Disable release freeze
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROWLER_BOT_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          gh variable set RELEASE_FREEZE --body false --repo "${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"