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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteFor an npm project, start with npm audit from the project root, then add a scan of the JavaScript files you actually ship if libraries may have been copied or bundled outside the package tree. Enable GitHub Dependabot for ongoing repository alerts and upgrade pull requests. These checks cover different evidence: no single clean scan proves that every deployed script is safe or that a vulnerable component is exploitable.
Which JavaScript vulnerability scanner should you use?
Choose tools according to where the code and dependency information live. npm audit is the first check for dependencies represented by an npm project’s dependency tree. Retire.js complements it by looking for known vulnerable JavaScript libraries in files that may not appear in package manifests. GitHub Dependabot adds continuing repository monitoring for supported dependency ecosystems. OWASP Dependency-Check is another software-composition-analysis option, particularly when a project spans multiple technology stacks.
| Tool | What it checks | Useful output | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
npm audit |
npm dependency tree: direct, development, bundled, and optional dependencies | Package, severity, description, dependency path, and possible remediation | Peer dependencies are excluded; npm documents dependency-tree limitations |
| Retire.js | Known vulnerable JavaScript libraries and files, including unmanaged or bundled assets; browser and headless modes broaden its coverage | Findings, exit status, and CycloneDX SBOM formats | Uses known signatures and versions; it does not establish application exploitability |
| GitHub Dependabot | Repository dependencies detected for supported ecosystems, including npm and Yarn | Alerts and, where possible, security-update pull requests | Depends on supported manifests, dependency graph accuracy, advisory coverage, and current files; archived repositories are not scanned |
| OWASP Dependency-Check | Known vulnerable components across mixed technology stacks when they can be mapped to component identifiers and advisory data | Reports associated with CVE entries | Mapping quality and advisory freshness affect results |
These products are not interchangeable. A package-tree audit can miss a library copied into a static asset directory; a source or bundle scan does not replace ongoing repository alerts; repository monitoring is only as representative as the committed dependency evidence. Combining checks closes more gaps than treating one tool as a universal scanner.
How to run an npm audit safely
1. Keep dependency evidence in sync
Commit and maintain the package manifest and lockfile used for the build. GitHub recommends keeping both current for accurate dependency detection. If the manifest, lockfile, checked-in source, and deployed build describe different dependency sets, a scanner’s result may not describe what users receive.
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2. Run the baseline check
- Open a terminal at the project root, where the npm project files are located.
- Run
npm audit. - For each finding, inspect the package name, severity, dependency path, description, and suggested remediation. Work out whether the affected package is direct or arrived through another dependency.
- Review a proposed fix before applying it. Verify the resulting dependency tree and run the project’s tests and build rather than assuming that an automated upgrade is harmless.
npm documents npm audit as a manual audit of locally installed packages that produces a dependency-vulnerability report and, when available, suggested patches. Its report is useful for deciding what to update, but a version match alone is not proof that the vulnerable code path is reachable in the deployed application.
What npm audit covers—and what it does not
The documented audit coverage includes direct dependencies, devDependencies, bundledDependencies, and optionalDependencies. It excludes peerDependencies. Treat that distinction as a coverage boundary, especially for libraries whose consumers are expected to supply a peer package themselves.
npm also documents limitations related to invalid dependency trees, Git dependencies, private modules, and meta-vulnerability handling. The audit relies on a dependency tree that can be represented and evaluated correctly. A clean result therefore means that the checked tree did not produce a reported finding under the available advisory data; it is not a guarantee about unrepresented assets, all private code, or future advisories.
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Scan browser files and bundled libraries with Retire.js
Web applications often contain JavaScript that was downloaded and committed directly, copied into a static directory, or incorporated into a generated bundle. Those files may not be represented as ordinary npm dependencies. Retire.js was created specifically to help identify known vulnerable JavaScript library versions in such unmanaged files as well as modules. Its signature-oriented detection can use clues such as filenames or URLs.
Run Retire.js against the source or build output that corresponds to the site being assessed. Its command-line scanner can be configured to fail a build when it finds vulnerabilities; the documented default exit code for findings is 13, and that code can be overridden. Check the tool’s current command-line documentation for the invocation and configuration supported by the version you install; the available project information here does not establish a particular installation command or flag syntax.
Where the workflow needs a software bill of materials, Retire.js can emit CycloneDX XML or JSON variants, including vulnerability sections in supported VEX formats. An SBOM records component information; it should be interpreted alongside scan findings and the scope of the files supplied to the scanner.
Turn on continuous monitoring with GitHub Dependabot
Dependabot uses GitHub’s dependency graph and curated GitHub Advisory Database for supported ecosystems, including npm and Yarn. When it detects a vulnerable dependency, it can create an alert; where possible, it creates a pull request to upgrade to the minimum possible secure version needed to avoid the vulnerability.
Enable Dependabot alerts and security updates where they fit the repository’s workflow. Keep manifests and lockfiles synchronized with the code actually built and deployed, and remember that GitHub does not scan archived repositories. Detection can differ from other scanners because GitHub has its own dependency-detection and advisory-curation processes.
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When to add OWASP Dependency-Check
OWASP Dependency-Check is an additional SCA choice for broader programs or projects that mix technologies. It identifies known vulnerable components when it can map them to component identifiers and advisory data, then reports associated CVE entries. The usefulness of a result depends on the quality of that mapping and the freshness of the advisory data. It can complement the JavaScript-focused checks above, but it should not be assumed to find every component or vulnerability.
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A layered workflow for a defensible result
- Represent the build: maintain the package manifest and lockfile, and make sure they correspond to the dependency set used in the shipped application.
- Audit the npm tree: run
npm auditand review paths, severity, and proposed fixes. - Inspect shipped scripts: run Retire.js on source or build output where copied, bundled, or unmanaged browser libraries may exist.
- Monitor changes: configure Dependabot alerts and security updates for supported GitHub repositories.
- Produce an SBOM if required: use Retire.js’s supported CycloneDX output and retain the scope and build context associated with it.
- Triage findings: confirm whether the vulnerable component is present in the deployed artifact, whether the affected code is reachable, and whether the proposed version actually fixes the issue.
This sequence distinguishes a component match from a risk decision. A scanner can identify a known vulnerable version; it does not by itself prove that an attacker can reach the vulnerable behavior in a particular application. Conversely, a clean scan only speaks to the files and dependency evidence inspected and the advisory information available to that tool at scan time.
Common scan problems and what to do
- The scan is clean but a site still ships a vulnerable library: the file may have been copied, bundled, or generated outside the npm dependency tree. Scan the relevant source or build assets with Retire.js as well.
- npm audit cannot represent or resolve part of the tree: check for an invalid tree, Git dependency, private module, or meta-vulnerability chain. Confirm the manifest and lockfile describe the intended install, then investigate any dependency npm cannot evaluate rather than treating the partial result as a clean bill of health.
- Dependabot has no alert for a dependency: verify the ecosystem is supported, repository files are current, and the repository is not archived. Its detection and advisory coverage may differ from another scanner’s.
- Retire.js makes a build fail: inspect the finding and affected asset; the documented default finding exit status is 13, though it can be overridden. Prefer resolving or explicitly triaging the vulnerable component over masking the result without a record.
- A finding looks severe but may not be exploitable in context: check whether the affected code is shipped and reachable, then assess the fix and application behavior. A version match is not a substitute for that analysis.
Separate task: capturing a clean website screenshot
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server, not a JavaScript dependency vulnerability scanner. It is relevant if your workflow also needs a clean visual capture of a site. The following request captures a screenshot; it does not inspect packages, detect vulnerabilities, or replace any of the checks above. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://freedom251.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a clean scan prove my JavaScript application is secure?
No. It only reports on inspected files and dependency evidence against the scanner’s available advisory data; it does not prove exploitability or cover every application security risk.
Should I scan the source folder or the build output?
Use the source or build output that answers your coverage question; for libraries delivered to users, include the shipped assets because copied or bundled files may not appear in the npm dependency tree.
Can I use ScreenshotNeo to find vulnerable JavaScript libraries?
No. ScreenshotNeo captures web pages; it is not a dependency or vulnerability scanner.
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