Unmaintained

Information

Unmaintained packages are those that have essentially been abandoned but have not been officially deprecated. The risks to your code base are similar to using outdated or deprecated dependencies:

• Security vulnerabilities due to not receiving any security updates or patches
• Lack of active support
• Reduced performance
• Compatibility issues with other packages
• Increased maintenance burden
• Compliance and reputation risks

Using software flagged as Unmaintained is never a good idea, even if it has been stable for years. You will involuntarily take on this maintenance burden whenever it causes issues with your code base.

The more concerning problem is that you do not have control of the package, and it is reasonable to assume there is no maintainer looking after it. The maintainer's account may become compromised or the package may be passed off to an individual or organization that is not trustworthy.

Recommended actions

Update to a Supported Version:

• Check for Updates: Look for a newer, supported version of the deprecated package. Sometimes, maintainers provide an updated version that addresses the reasons for deprecation.
• Follow Upgrade Guides: Review the package's documentation or release notes for guidance on migrating to the new version. There might be breaking changes that need to be addressed in your code.

Find an Alternative Package:

• Search for Alternatives: Identify other packages that offer similar functionality and are actively maintained. Scrolling down on the Socket package page, you will find AI-powered suggestions for alternative packages with similar capabilities:

• Evaluate Stability and Popularity: Choose an alternative that is stable, widely adopted, and regularly updated. Check the number of downloads, stars, and recent activity on its repository.

Fork and Maintain the Package:

• Fork the Repository: If you rely heavily on the deprecated package and no suitable alternatives exist, consider forking the repository to maintain it yourself.
• Community Collaboration: Collaborate with other developers facing the same issue. Joint efforts can help share the maintenance burden.

Minimize Dependencies:

• Reduce Dependency Usage: Evaluate if the dependency is essential. Sometimes, it’s possible to remove or reduce the use of external packages by writing custom code. This may also reduce your overall attack surface.
• Consolidate Packages: Replace multiple deprecated or under-maintained packages with fewer, more reliable ones.

Examples

In this example of a package flagged as Unmaintained, you may not even see the alert on the Socket packet page as it's buried in dozens of high and critical alerts. (Clicking through the alerts banner will show each individual alert.)

Most unmaintained packages are accompanied by a slew of other alerts for CVEs, maintenance issues, and supply chain risks.

Detection Method

These are packages that have not received an update in five years or longer.

Additional resources

• How to Protect Your Projects from the Risks of Deprecated npm Packages
• Researchers at Aqua Nautilus found that 8.2% percent of the most downloaded npm packages are officially deprecated, but due to inconsistent practices in handling package dependencies, the real number is much larger, closer to 21.2%.