CVE-2021-43616

A flaw was found in npm. The npm ci command 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.

Several nodejs modules in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and software collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 are not affected by this flaw. This is because the vulnerability was never present in the 6.x version of npm in use by these products.

Red Hat's Secure Software Development Life Cycle utilizes a layered testing approach. This significantly increases attack complexity, because a compromised package must remain undetected for months to years in testing in upstream communities before it could be adopted into a Red Hat product. This long dwell-time reduces impact to Important.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

Red Hat has investigated whether possible mitigation exists for this issue, and has not been able to identify a practical example. Please update the affected package as soon as possible.