T08 · Insecure Dependencies
- Location
package.json:12- Finding
Non-Reproducible Dependency Installation Using Unlocked Version Ranges
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
package.json:12-17
Vulnerability Type: T08: Insecure Dependencies
Risk Level: Lowjson "dependencies": { "node-cron": "^3.0.3", "chokidar": "^3.5.3", "axios": "^1.6.0", "nodemailer": "^6.9.7" }Technical Analysis
All four dependencies use caret version ranges, and the audited project contains no package lockfile. Consequently,
npm install, as instructed bySKILL.md:32-36, can resolve dependency and transitive-dependency versions that were not represented in or reviewed as part of this artifact.Caret ranges permit npm to select newer compatible releases. The absence of a lockfile also prevents verification that different installations resolve the same dependency graph. If an allowed future release or transitive dependency is compromised, defective, or contains a malicious installation script, it could enter the project without any modification to
package.json.The dependency names are ordinary npm package names, and no custom registry, Git dependency, remote archive, typosquatted name, or known malicious package is visible in the audited files. This finding therefore concerns supply-chain exposure and build reproducibility; it is not evidence that the currently declared dependencies are malicious.
Attack Path
- An attacker compromises the publication account or release process of a declared dependency or one of its transitive dependencies.
- The attacker publishes a malicious version that satisfies the declared version range or the dependency resolver's unconstrained transitive requirements.
- A user follows the installation instructions and executes
npm install. - Because no reviewed lockfile constrains the dependency graph, npm resolves and downloads the newly published package version.
- Malicious package installation hooks, if present, execute with the privileges of the user running npm. Alternatively, malicious dependenc ...[truncated 735 chars]
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Generate and commit a
package-lock.jsonafter resolving and reviewing the complete dependency graph. - Use
npm ciin development, deployment, and continuous-integration environments so installation fails if the manifest and lockfile disagree. - Consider pinning direct dependencies to exact reviewed versions rather than caret ranges.
- Review dependency updates before regenerating the lockfile, including transitive changes and package lifecycle scripts.
- Run automated dependency vulnerability and integrity checks in continuous integration.
- Perform installation with a non-privileged account and restrict access to secrets and sensitive files.
- Where operationally feasible, disable package lifecycle scripts during installation with
npm ci --ignore-scripts, enabling only explicitly reviewed scripts when required.
- Generate and commit a