npm / npm/rfcs

[RRFC] Avoid installing packages with advisories against them when possible

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Dominant language
JavaScript
Stars
777
Forks
267
PR merge metrics
No merged PRs in 30d

Description

Motivation ("The Why")

I'd like to be able to install a package and not have the resulting tree have any advisories that can be automatically fixed.

How
Current Behaviour

Currently it's possible for npm install to select versions that npm audit fix would switch away from. npm audit fix may flag the most recent version as insecure, necessitating a downgrade.

Desired Behaviour

npm install would apply the constraints from advisories provided by npm audit when its first selecting a version to use. When overrides as audit advisories are supported, they would also be applied during the initial install.

It would be difficult to use the current audit end points to provide this functionality without substantial overhead. I would suggest that advisories should be injected into the packument so that they're always available to the installer without having to make additional http requests.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reviewing the npm install and npm audit fix behavior described in this RFC, including how advisories and overrides would affect version selection. Evaluate the proposed packument injection approach and define the initial-install behavior; done means installs avoid automatically fixable advisories without requiring a subsequent audit fix.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
security, tooling
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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