npm — security advisory
The npm ci command in npm 7.x and 8.x through 8.1.3 proceeds with an installation even if dependency information in package-lock.json differs from package.json. This behavior is inconsistent with the documentation, and makes it easier for attackers to install malware that was supposed to have been blocked by an exact version match requirement in package-lock.json. NOTE: The npm team believes this is not a vulnerability. It would require someone to socially engineer package.json which has different dependencies than package-lock.json. That user would have to have file system or write access to change dependencies. The npm team states preventing malicious actors from socially engineering or gaining file system access is outside the scope of the npm CLI.
- Products
- npm
- Affected versions
- 11.16.0+ds2-4, 7.24.2+ds-1, 7.24.2+ds-2, 7.5.2+ds-2, 8.3.0~ds-1, 8.3.0~ds-2, 8.3.2~ds-1, 8.5.0~ds-1, 8.5.1~ds-1, 9.2.0~ds1-1, 9.2.0~ds1-2, 9.2.0~ds1-3, 9.2.0~ds2-2, 9.2.0~ds3-1
- Fixed versions
- Not specified
- CVEs
- CVE-2021-43616
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 31 Oct 2026, 00:44 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
The npm ci command in npm 7.x and 8.x through 8.1.3 proceeds with an installation even if dependency information in package-lock.json differs from package.json. This behavior is inconsistent with the documentation, and makes it easier for attackers to install malware that was supposed to have been blocked by an exact version match requirement in package-lock.json. NOTE: The npm team believes this is not a vulnerability. It would require someone to socially engineer package.json which has different dependencies than package-lock.json. That user would have to have file system or write access to change dependencies. The npm team states preventing malicious actors from socially engineering or gaining file system access is outside the scope of the npm CLI.
osv:UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616
npm
Fixed versions: Not specified
npm
Fixed versions: Not specified
npm
Fixed versions: Not specified
npm
Fixed versions: Not specified
npm
Fixed versions: Not specified
Complete source record
{
"id": "6d99f52585e695776195469a6697cee33b94356028e883bdad73afd751675644",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616",
"summary": "The npm ci command in npm 7.x and 8.x through 8.1.3 proceeds with an installation even if dependency information in package-lock.json differs from package.json. This behavior is inconsistent with the documentation, and makes it easier for attackers to install malware that was supposed to have been blocked by an exact version match requirement in package-lock.json. NOTE: The npm team believes this is not a vulnerability. It would require someone to socially engineer package.json which has different dependencies than package-lock.json. That user would have to have file system or write access to change dependencies. The npm team states preventing malicious actors from socially engineering or gaining file system access is outside the scope of the npm CLI.",
"evidence": "osv:UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "npm",
"evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "7.5.2+ds-2",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "7.24.2+ds-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "7.24.2+ds-2",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "8.3.0~ds-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "8.3.0~ds-2",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "8.3.2~ds-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "8.5.0~ds-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "8.5.1~ds-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
}
]
},
{
"name": {
"value": "npm",
"evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds1-1",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds1-2",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
}
]
},
{
"name": {
"value": "npm",
"evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds1-3",
"evidence": "/affected/2/versions"
}
]
},
{
"name": {
"value": "npm",
"evidence": "/affected/3/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds3-1",
"evidence": "/affected/3/versions"
},
{
"value": "11.16.0+ds2-4",
"evidence": "/affected/3/versions"
}
]
},
{
"name": {
"value": "npm",
"evidence": "/affected/4/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds1-3",
"evidence": "/affected/4/versions"
},
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds2-2",
"evidence": "/affected/4/versions"
},
{
"value": "9.2.0~ds3-1",
"evidence": "/affected/4/versions"
}
]
}
],
"severity": "critical",
"structured": {
"id": "UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616",
"aliases": [
"UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616"
],
"metrics": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
},
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
},
{
"type": "Ubuntu",
"score": "medium"
}
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "npm",
"purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm?arch=source&distro=jammy",
"ecosystem": "Ubuntu:22.04:LTS"
},
"versions": [
"7.5.2+ds-2",
"7.24.2+ds-1",
"7.24.2+ds-2",
"8.3.0~ds-1",
"8.3.0~ds-2",
"8.3.2~ds-1",
"8.5.0~ds-1",
"8.5.1~ds-1"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2021/UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"binaries": [
{
"binary_name": "npm",
"binary_version": "8.5.1~ds-1"
}
]
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "npm",
"purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm?arch=source&distro=noble",
"ecosystem": "Ubuntu:24.04:LTS"
},
"versions": [
"9.2.0~ds1-1",
"9.2.0~ds1-2"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2021/UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"binaries": [
{
"binary_name": "npm",
"binary_version": "9.2.0~ds1-2"
}
]
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "npm",
"purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm?arch=source&distro=questing",
"ecosystem": "Ubuntu:25.10"
},
"versions": [
"9.2.0~ds1-3"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2021/UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"binaries": [
{
"binary_name": "npm",
"binary_version": "9.2.0~ds1-3"
}
]
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "npm",
"purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm?arch=source&distro=stonking",
"ecosystem": "Ubuntu:26.10"
},
"versions": [
"9.2.0~ds3-1",
"11.16.0+ds2-4"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2021/UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"binaries": [
{
"binary_name": "npm",
"binary_version": "11.16.0+ds2-4"
}
]
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "npm",
"purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm?arch=source&distro=resolute",
"ecosystem": "Ubuntu:26.04:LTS"
},
"versions": [
"9.2.0~ds1-3",
"9.2.0~ds2-2",
"9.2.0~ds3-1"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2021/UBUNTU-CVE-2021-43616.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"binaries": [
{
"binary_name": "npm",
"binary_version": "9.2.0~ds3-1"
}
]
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-17T12:56:01.364503066Z",
"provider": "osv",
"upstream": [
"CVE-2021-43616"
],
"references": [
"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2021-43616",
"https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701",
"https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v7/commands/npm-ci",
"https://github.com/icatalina/CVE-2021-43616",
"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-43616"
]
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2021-43616",
"evidence": "/upstream"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": "/severity/1/score"
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 354586,
"published_at": "2021-11-13T18:15:00+00:00"
}