A compromised npm release cannot be cleared by one green check. To determine whether a project may contain an affected version, preserve the exact lockfile state, run npm audit signatures, inspect provenance, compare the release with a known-good source and artifact, and run npm audit as a separate vulnerability check. Signatures, provenance, and vulnerability advisories answer different questions; none alone proves that a package is safe.
What you are trying to establish
Incident response starts with a precise question: did this project resolve the package version and registry artifact identified by the incident owner, and does the artifact match the expected publishing path? That is different from asking whether the package has a known CVE or whether npm can verify a signature.
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Because no particular incident, package, or release list is specified here, do not infer affected versions from generic npm documentation. Obtain the incident owner’s advisory, including package names, exact versions, release times, indicators, and any known-good boundary. Then test those claims against your own lockfile and registry evidence.
What each evidence type can and cannot prove
| Evidence | What it answers | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Registry signature | Whether npm can verify the registry-signed package metadata and artifact for the downloaded version. | That the source repository, build workflow, or package contents were benign. |
| Provenance attestation | Which source commit, repository, workflow, build run, and publishing identity are linked to the package. | That the linked source or build produced no malicious code. npm explicitly says provenance does not guarantee the absence of malicious code. |
npm audit |
Whether the dependency graph matches known vulnerability advisories in the configured registry. | Whether a release was deliberately modified, backdoored, or otherwise malicious without a published advisory. |
| Source and artifact comparison | Whether code, generated files, scripts, dependencies, and package contents differ from an expected release. | That an identical-looking source tree is safe if the build or publishing environment was compromised. |
| Incident indicators | Whether the version or behavior is implicated by the incident owner’s independently reported evidence. | That an unlisted version is safe when the incident scope is incomplete. |
1. Freeze the project state before changing dependencies
Preserve evidence before upgrading, removing, reinstalling, or regenerating dependencies. A changed lockfile can erase the exact resolution you need to investigate.
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- Identify the incident’s suspected package, release window, registry, and indicators from the primary advisory.
- Copy the project lockfile and record its hash or other internal evidence-preservation identifier. Keep the original unchanged.
- Save the existing installation and build records, including CI logs, package-manager output, generated bundles, and release artifacts that were created while the suspect dependency was present.
- Inventory every occurrence of the package in the dependency graph, including direct and transitive paths. Record the package name, exact version, registry, tarball integrity value, and the parent dependency path for each occurrence.
- Record the npm and Node versions used for the original installation and the operating environment if those details are available. They can affect lockfile resolution and verification behavior.
The npm audit command expects a lockfile by default and submits dependency information from the project for advisory checking. Keeping the original lockfile lets you reproduce that check against the same resolved graph rather than a later, silently updated one. See npm audit documentation.
2. Use a CLI new enough for both verification checks
Registry-signature and provenance verification have different minimum versions. Use a current npm CLI that meets the higher provenance requirement when performing both checks in one investigation.
| Task | Documented minimum | How to use the requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Registry signature verification | npm CLI v8.15.0 or later | Older clients may not support the documented signature-verification behavior. |
| Provenance verification | npm CLI v9.5.0 or later | Use this threshold or newer for an installed dependency tree. |
| Combined signature and provenance review | A current CLI meeting the v9.5.0-or-later threshold | Check the actual client version before collecting results and record it with the evidence. |
| Configuring trusted publishing | npm CLI 11.5.1 or later and Node 22.14.0 or later | This is a configuration prerequisite, not a requirement for every historical package audit. |
Check the versions with npm --version and node --version. If the project was installed with a different client, preserve that fact and perform the review in a controlled environment using the current client as well; do not overwrite the original evidence.
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3. Install the exact dependency tree and run signature verification
npm’s provenance-verification guidance requires the dependencies to be installed with npm install or npm ci. Use the preserved lockfile and the project’s normal, documented installation method. Keep the resulting output and any registry configuration as part of the case record.
Run the combined check
npm audit signaturesnpm describes this command as verifying registry signatures and provenance attestations for packages in the installed dependency tree. The command is an evidence collector, not a verdict that the code is harmless.
Interpret an error or missing evidence
If npm reports missing or invalid signatures or attestations, preserve the complete output, the package version involved, and the registry endpoint used. First establish whether the configured registry supports signatures and whether evidence exists for that exact version. npm documents that its CLI errors when a registry supports signatures but packages lack them; that condition can indicate an attempt to circumvent signature verification, but the error alone does not identify the cause.
- Check that you tested the exact resolved version, not a newer version selected after a lockfile change.
- Confirm that the package came from the intended registry and that a proxy or mirror did not substitute a different artifact.
- Compare the reported integrity value with the value preserved in the lockfile.
- Keep both successful and failed output. A later rerun against a different registry or package version is not equivalent evidence.
Detailed behavior and prerequisites are documented in npm’s registry-signature guide and the provenance-viewing guide.
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4. Inspect provenance and compare it with the expected release path
When provenance is available, inspect the package’s attestation details rather than treating its presence as a pass/fail badge. npm describes provenance as a verifiable link between a package, its source code, and its build instructions.
“npm provenance provides a verifiable link to the package’s source code and build instructions, which developers can then audit and determine whether to trust it or not.”
Fields to compare
- Repository: Confirm that the repository is the project expected to publish the package, including the correct owner or organization.
- Source commit: Compare the immutable commit identifier with the commit approved for the release. A moving branch name is not a substitute for an immutable commit.
- Workflow file and build run: Verify that the workflow is the expected release workflow and that the run corresponds to the release window.
- Publishing identity: Check the account, workload identity, or trusted-publisher identity that performed the publish operation.
- Package and version: Ensure the attestation is for the exact package and version in your lockfile, not merely for the repository or a neighboring release.
- Public-ledger record: Retain the attestation or ledger reference so another responder can verify the same statement later.
Compare those fields with the organization’s release procedure, approved source commit, workflow review, and incident indicators. Then inspect the source diff and package contents against a known-good release. Pay particular attention to install and lifecycle scripts, generated files, bundled JavaScript, dependency changes, encoded or obfuscated additions, and changes that are absent from the expected source commit.
When provenance cannot be retrieved
npm checks linked source commits and repositories when provenance is viewed and displays a warning if they can no longer be found. A missing repository or commit can result from deletion or a repository becoming private; it is unavailable evidence, not proof of compromise.
Automatic provenance also depends on documented provider and visibility conditions, including the provider used, a public repository, and a public package. Confirm the package’s actual publishing setup before treating an absent attestation as suspicious. The provenance generation details are in npm’s provenance documentation.
5. Review source and package contents, not just metadata
A valid signature tells you that the registry can authenticate the signed metadata. A provenance statement tells you which source and build path were linked. Neither replaces a code review of the release itself.
Compare against a known-good version
- Select a known-good version according to the incident owner’s advisory, release history, and your preserved records. Do not assume that the immediately preceding version is good without evidence.
- Compare source changes between the known-good commit and the suspected commit, including workflow files and release scripts.
- Compare the packed package contents, not only the repository checkout. Generated files, bundled dependencies, and ignored files can affect what consumers execute.
- Review dependency and lifecycle-script changes. A package can introduce behavior during installation or runtime without appearing as a conventional vulnerability.
- Record each difference, its expected purpose, and the reviewer or evidence that resolved it.
If the package was built from a commit that does not match the expected release path, or if the packed artifact contains unexplained code, escalate it as an incident indicator even when registry signatures verify successfully.
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6. Run npm audit as a separate vulnerability check
Run the advisory scan against the preserved dependency graph:
npm auditnpm states that this command submits a description of the dependencies configured in the project to the default registry and asks for a report of known vulnerabilities. It uses the lockfile by default, so the result is meaningful only when the lockfile and registry context are recorded.
“The
npm auditcommand submits a description of the dependencies configured in your project to your default registry and asks for a report of known vulnerabilities.”
How to use the result
- Review the affected package, vulnerable range, dependency path, severity, and remediation suggested by npm.
- Relate the advisory’s version range to the exact versions in your preserved lockfile.
- Keep the full report with the signature and provenance results.
- Do not convert “no vulnerabilities found” into “the release was not compromised.” A malicious release can be new, targeted, or absent from vulnerability databases.
npm audit complements release-integrity analysis; it does not replace it. The distinction is also reflected in npm’s documentation on provenance and trusted publishing.
7. Review the publishing control plane
Once the package evidence is collected, inspect how the release was allowed to reach npm. A compromise can involve a stolen token, an over-permissive workflow, or a trusted publisher configured for the wrong repository or workflow.
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Check trusted-publisher configuration
- Confirm the configured CI provider, repository, organization, workflow file, and publishing identity.
- Match those values to the provenance fields and to the release workflow that maintainers expect.
- Look for changes made near the incident window, including a repository transfer, workflow edit, identity change, or newly authorized publisher.
npm recommends preferring trusted publishing over long-lived tokens where supported, restricting traditional token publishing access, auditing trusted-publisher configurations regularly, and removing unused publish tokens. Apply those controls after preserving the historical evidence so remediation does not destroy the facts needed for attribution.
Account for provider and visibility limits
Automatic provenance is conditional. The documented requirements include the provider, a public repository, and a public package. npm documents that CircleCI trusted publishing does not generate provenance. Therefore, an absent attestation from that provider is expected behavior rather than a standalone compromise signal. Check the current trusted publishing documentation and the package’s actual settings before drawing a conclusion.
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8. Compare candidate releases consistently
When the incident names several possible releases, use the same fields for every candidate. A comparison table prevents a valid signature on one version from being mistaken for evidence about another.
| Comparison axis | Questions to answer | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Exact version and artifact | Does the lockfile resolve this version, from the expected registry, with the expected integrity value? | Lockfile entry, registry URL, tarball integrity, dependency paths. |
| Registry signature | Is the signature present and valid for this exact downloaded package? | npm audit signatures output and CLI version. |
| Provenance source | Does the source commit and repository match the approved release source? | Attestation fields, commit identifier, repository reference. |
| Build and publisher | Did the expected workflow run publish it under the expected identity? | Workflow file, run reference, provider and publisher identity. |
| Source and package contents | Are code, generated files, scripts, dependencies, and packed contents consistent with a known-good release? | Diff notes, package archives, review records. |
| Incident indicators | Is this version implicated by the incident owner’s independently reported indicators? | Primary advisory reference and matching observations. |
Mark each cell as confirmed, contradicted, unavailable, or not applicable, and explain the evidence for that status. “Unavailable” is more accurate than “clean” when a repository, attestation, or historical build record cannot be retrieved.
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Evidence directly matches the incident
If the lockfile contains an implicated version and the package or build evidence matches the incident indicators, treat the dependency as affected. Follow the incident owner’s containment and remediation instructions, preserve the original artifact, and document every replacement or rebuild so the final state remains auditable.
Evidence conflicts with the expected release path
A mismatched source commit, unexpected workflow, unknown publishing identity, unexplained package content, or invalid signature warrants escalation even if npm audit reports no advisory. Separate the technical observation from the conclusion about cause; the evidence may show tampering without yet identifying who or how.
Signatures verify but provenance is missing
Do not call the release safe or compromised on that fact alone. Determine whether the registry and provider support the relevant evidence, whether the package and repository meet visibility requirements, and whether the release predates provenance generation. Then rely on source, artifact, control-plane, and incident-specific evidence.
Everything matches, but the incident scope is uncertain
Matching signatures, provenance, source, build identity, and package contents lowers the concern for that exact artifact, but it does not expand the incident owner’s known-good list. Keep the release under review if the advisory says that indicators or affected versions are incomplete.
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10. Troubleshoot common audit failures
The command is unavailable
Check the npm CLI version and update to a current release that meets the documented prerequisite. Record the old and new versions; rerunning with a newer client should supplement, not overwrite, the original evidence.
The lockfile changed during installation
Stop the investigation run, restore the preserved lockfile, and repeat in an isolated working copy. Record why the change occurred. Do not use a newly resolved graph to answer whether the original project was exposed.
The registry returns no signature
Confirm the registry endpoint and whether it supports signatures. Check the exact package version and integrity value, preserve the error, and investigate registry or proxy behavior before assigning a cause.
The provenance repository is unavailable
Check whether the repository was deleted or made private and retain the warning. Seek the immutable commit, workflow logs, and release artifacts from internal records. Treat the provenance field as unavailable rather than as proof of malicious publishing.
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Keep the result as evidence about known advisories only. Continue the signature, provenance, source, artifact, and publishing-control review; a clean advisory report cannot clear a suspicious release.
11. Create a reproducible case record
Another maintainer should be able to repeat the review without guessing which package or environment you tested. Store the following together:
- Incident advisory, scope, release window, and indicators.
- Original lockfile and a list of every resolved occurrence of the package.
- Package name, exact version, registry, tarball integrity value, and dependency path.
- Node and npm versions, installation method, registry configuration, and relevant environment details.
- Complete output from
npm audit signaturesandnpm audit. - Provenance fields, attestation or ledger references, and any unavailable-source warnings.
- Source, workflow, package-content, and known-good comparisons.
- Trusted-publisher settings, token-access findings, and the dates of any containment changes.
- A conclusion for each candidate release that distinguishes confirmed, contradicted, unavailable, and unresolved evidence.
This record keeps the central questions separate: whether npm authenticated the artifact, whether the build path is attributable, whether known vulnerabilities are present, and whether incident-specific evidence implicates the version.
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