Security: NPM auth token is passed on command line (process list exposure)#1206
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tomaioo wants to merge 1 commit intomicrosoft:mainfrom
Open
Security: NPM auth token is passed on command line (process list exposure)#1206tomaioo wants to merge 1 commit intomicrosoft:mainfrom
tomaioo wants to merge 1 commit intomicrosoft:mainfrom
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Publish arguments include auth credentials directly as CLI flags (for example `--//registry/:_authToken=<token>`). Command-line arguments can be exposed via process listings, CI diagnostics, crash reports, or audit tooling, leading to credential leakage. Signed-off-by: tomaioo <203048277+tomaioo@users.noreply.github.com>
ecraig12345
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Apr 18, 2026
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This is something that could potentially be handled better, but npm itself doesn't support NODE_AUTH_TOKEN--best I can tell it's specific to actions/setup-node, and if you follow those instructions you could already pass the token that way without modifying beachball.
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Summary
Security: NPM auth token is passed on command line (process list exposure)
Problem
Severity:
High| File:packages/beachball/src/packageManager/npmArgs.ts:L20Publish arguments include auth credentials directly as CLI flags (for example
--//registry/:_authToken=<token>). Command-line arguments can be exposed via process listings, CI diagnostics, crash reports, or audit tooling, leading to credential leakage.Solution
Do not pass tokens in CLI args. Prefer environment variables supported by npm (
NODE_AUTH_TOKEN) or write a temporary.npmrcwith restrictive permissions and delete it after use. Ensure logs never print full auth material.Changes
packages/beachball/src/packageManager/npmArgs.ts(modified)