[BUG] npm install fails on scoped package override with cryptic "Invalid comparator" error

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

We have a package override in our project that's working OK in NPM 8 (after some workarounds for https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/5007):

  "overrides": {
    "pgsql-ast-parser": "@grid-is/pgsql-ast-parser@^111.0.0"
  },

Upgrading npm to 9.1.1 or 9.2.0 makes npm install fail in this project, with:

npm ERR! Invalid comparator: @grid-is/pgsql-ast-parser@^111.0.0

and in the debug logfile:

35 verbose shrinkwrap failed to load node_modules/.package-lock.json out of date, updated: node_modules/@grid-is/pgsql-ast-parser
36 timing idealTree Completed in 1300ms
37 timing command:i Completed in 1305ms
38 verbose stack TypeError: Invalid comparator: @grid-is/pgsql-ast-parser@^111.0.0
38 verbose stack     at Comparator.parse (/Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/classes/comparator.js:38:13)
38 verbose stack     at new Comparator (/Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/classes/comparator.js:22:10)
38 verbose stack     at /Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/classes/range.js:133:47
38 verbose stack     at Array.map (<anonymous>)
38 verbose stack     at Range.parseRange (/Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/classes/range.js:133:35)
38 verbose stack     at /Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/classes/range.js:34:22
38 verbose stack     at Array.map (<anonymous>)
38 verbose stack     at new Range (/Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/classes/range.js:34:8)
38 verbose stack     at Object.intersects (/Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/semver/ranges/intersects.js:3:8)
38 verbose stack     at OverrideSet.getEdgeRule (/Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/override-set.js:53:18)
39 verbose cwd /Users/gthb/git/GRID-client
40 verbose Darwin 22.1.0
41 verbose node v16.18.0
42 verbose npm  v9.2.0
43 error Invalid comparator: @grid-is/pgsql-ast-parser@^111.0.0

Expected Behavior

I expect npm install to succeed with NPM 9 like it does with NPM 8 (or else output a more informative error message, if there is something wrong with the package override that NPM 8 was not revealing).

Steps To Reproduce

I would extract minimal steps to reproduce this, except, I put in that work in https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/5007 and that's been totally ignored for half year. I'll happily put in the work here if there's a hint that someone cares for it. :)

Environment

• npm: 9.2.0
• Node.js: 16.18.0
• OS Name: Darwin 22.1.0
• System Model Name: Macbook Pro
• npm config:

; "user" config from /Users/gthb/.npmrc

@grid-is:registry = "https://registry.npmjs.org/" 
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken = (protected) 

; "project" config from /Users/gthb/git/GRID-client/.npmrc

engine-strict = true 

; "cli" config from command line options

location = "project" 

; node bin location = /Users/gthb/.nvm/versions/node/v16.18.0/bin/node
; node version = v16.18.0
; npm local prefix = /Users/gthb/git/GRID-client
; npm version = 9.2.0
; cwd = /Users/gthb/git/GRID-client
; HOME = /Users/gthb
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

Start by reproducing the scoped override failure with npm 9.2.0, then inspect @npmcli/arborist/lib/override-set.js and the semver Comparator/Range stack shown in the report. Done means npm install succeeds for the override as it does in npm 8, or reports a more informative validation error; no repository test is named in the issue.