How do you protect a Node.js project from Supply Chain Attacks in the npm ecosystem?

Short answer

Use npm audit, pin exact versions, enable --ignore-scripts, scan dependencies with static analysis tools, and rely on a trusted lockfile.

Explanation

npm packages are a major target for attackers through Typosquatting or malicious code in installation scripts (postinstall hooks). Protection includes running automated security scans in CI, blocking untrusted scripts with --ignore-scripts, and enabling package signature verification (npm provenance).

Code example

npm audit --audit-level=high
npm ci --ignore-scripts

Common mistakes

• Installing unknown packages with few downloads without reviewing their source code and license.

Follow-up questions

• What are Timing Attacks, and why should crypto.timingSafeEqual be used to compare sensitive tokens?

Sources

• Node.js — Security Best Practices