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Attackers Are Hunting High-Impact Node.js Maintainers in a Coordinated Social Engineering Campaign
Multiple high-impact npm maintainers confirm they have been targeted in the same social engineering campaign that compromised Axios.
@socketsecurity/socket-patch
Advanced tools
Apply security patches to npm, Python, and Rust dependencies without waiting for upstream fixes.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SocketDev/socket-patch/main/scripts/install.sh | sh
Detects your platform (macOS/Linux, x64/ARM64), downloads the latest binary, and installs to /usr/local/bin or ~/.local/bin. Use sudo sh instead of sh if /usr/local/bin requires root.
Download a prebuilt binary from the latest release:
# macOS (Apple Silicon)
curl -fsSL https://github.com/SocketDev/socket-patch/releases/latest/download/socket-patch-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz | tar xz
# macOS (Intel)
curl -fsSL https://github.com/SocketDev/socket-patch/releases/latest/download/socket-patch-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz | tar xz
# Linux (x86_64)
curl -fsSL https://github.com/SocketDev/socket-patch/releases/latest/download/socket-patch-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz | tar xz
# Linux (ARM64)
curl -fsSL https://github.com/SocketDev/socket-patch/releases/latest/download/socket-patch-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz | tar xz
Then move the binary onto your PATH:
sudo mv socket-patch /usr/local/bin/
npx @socketsecurity/socket-patch
Or install globally:
npm install -g @socketsecurity/socket-patch
pip install socket-patch
cargo install socket-patch-cli
You can pass a patch UUID directly to socket-patch as a shortcut:
socket-patch 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
# equivalent to: socket-patch get 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
All commands support --json for structured JSON output and --cwd <dir> to set the working directory (default: .). Every JSON response includes a "status" field ("success", "error", "no_manifest", etc.) for reliable programmatic consumption.
getGet security patches from Socket API and apply them. Accepts a UUID, CVE ID, GHSA ID, PURL, or package name. The identifier type is auto-detected but can be forced with a flag.
Alias: download
Usage:
socket-patch get <identifier> [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--org <slug> | Organization slug (required when using SOCKET_API_TOKEN) |
--id | Force identifier to be treated as a UUID |
--cve | Force identifier to be treated as a CVE ID |
--ghsa | Force identifier to be treated as a GHSA ID |
-p, --package | Force identifier to be treated as a package name |
-y, --yes | Skip confirmation prompt for multiple patches |
--save-only | Download patch without applying it (alias: --no-apply) |
--one-off | Apply patch immediately without saving to .socket folder |
-g, --global | Apply to globally installed packages |
--global-prefix <path> | Custom path to global node_modules |
--json | Output results as JSON |
--api-token <token> | Socket API token (overrides SOCKET_API_TOKEN) |
--api-url <url> | Socket API URL (overrides SOCKET_API_URL) |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Get patch by UUID
socket-patch get 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
# Get patch by CVE
socket-patch get CVE-2024-12345
# Get patch by GHSA
socket-patch get GHSA-xxxx-yyyy-zzzz
# Get patch by package name (fuzzy matches installed packages)
socket-patch get lodash
# Download only, don't apply
socket-patch get CVE-2024-12345 --save-only
# Apply to global packages
socket-patch get lodash -g
# JSON output for scripting
socket-patch get CVE-2024-12345 --json -y
scanScan installed packages for available security patches.
Usage:
socket-patch scan [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--org <slug> | Organization slug |
--json | Output results as JSON |
--ecosystems <list> | Restrict to specific ecosystems (comma-separated: npm,pypi,cargo) |
-g, --global | Scan globally installed packages |
--global-prefix <path> | Custom path to global node_modules |
--batch-size <n> | Packages per API request (default: 100) |
--api-token <token> | Socket API token (overrides SOCKET_API_TOKEN) |
--api-url <url> | Socket API URL (overrides SOCKET_API_URL) |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Scan local project
socket-patch scan
# Scan with JSON output
socket-patch scan --json
# Scan only npm packages
socket-patch scan --ecosystems npm
# Scan global packages
socket-patch scan -g
applyApply security patches from the local manifest.
Usage:
socket-patch apply [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-d, --dry-run | Verify patches without modifying files |
-s, --silent | Only output errors |
-f, --force | Skip pre-application hash verification (apply even if package version differs) |
-m, --manifest-path <path> | Path to manifest (default: .socket/manifest.json) |
--offline | Do not download missing blobs; fail if any are missing |
-g, --global | Apply to globally installed packages |
--global-prefix <path> | Custom path to global node_modules |
--ecosystems <list> | Restrict to specific ecosystems (comma-separated, e.g. npm,pypi) |
--json | Output results as JSON |
-v, --verbose | Show detailed per-file verification information |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Apply patches
socket-patch apply
# Dry run
socket-patch apply --dry-run
# Apply only npm patches
socket-patch apply --ecosystems npm
# Apply in offline mode
socket-patch apply --offline
# JSON output for CI/CD
socket-patch apply --json
rollbackRollback patches to restore original files. If no identifier is given, all patches are rolled back.
Usage:
socket-patch rollback [identifier] [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-d, --dry-run | Verify rollback without modifying files |
-s, --silent | Only output errors |
-m, --manifest-path <path> | Path to manifest (default: .socket/manifest.json) |
--offline | Do not download missing blobs; fail if any are missing |
-g, --global | Rollback globally installed packages |
--global-prefix <path> | Custom path to global node_modules |
--one-off | Rollback by fetching original files from API (no manifest required) |
--ecosystems <list> | Restrict to specific ecosystems (comma-separated) |
--json | Output results as JSON |
-v, --verbose | Show detailed per-file verification information |
--org <slug> | Organization slug |
--api-token <token> | Socket API token (overrides SOCKET_API_TOKEN) |
--api-url <url> | Socket API URL (overrides SOCKET_API_URL) |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Rollback all patches
socket-patch rollback
# Rollback a specific package
socket-patch rollback "pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.20"
# Rollback by UUID
socket-patch rollback 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
# Dry run
socket-patch rollback --dry-run
# JSON output
socket-patch rollback --json
listList all patches in the local manifest.
Usage:
socket-patch list [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--json | Output as JSON |
-m, --manifest-path <path> | Path to manifest (default: .socket/manifest.json) |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# List patches
socket-patch list
# JSON output
socket-patch list --json
Sample Output:
Found 2 patch(es):
Package: pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.20
UUID: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
Tier: free
License: MIT
Vulnerabilities (1):
- GHSA-xxxx-yyyy-zzzz (CVE-2024-12345)
Severity: high
Summary: Prototype pollution in lodash
Files patched (1):
- lodash.js
removeRemove a patch from the manifest (rolls back files first by default).
Usage:
socket-patch remove <identifier> [options]
Arguments:
identifier - Package PURL (e.g., pkg:npm/package@version) or patch UUIDOptions:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--skip-rollback | Only update manifest, do not restore original files |
-g, --global | Remove from globally installed packages |
--global-prefix <path> | Custom path to global node_modules |
--json | Output results as JSON |
-m, --manifest-path <path> | Path to manifest (default: .socket/manifest.json) |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Remove by PURL
socket-patch remove "pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.20"
# Remove by UUID
socket-patch remove 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
# Remove without rolling back files
socket-patch remove "pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.20" --skip-rollback
# JSON output
socket-patch remove "pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.20" --json
setupConfigure package.json postinstall scripts to automatically apply patches after npm install.
Usage:
socket-patch setup [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-d, --dry-run | Preview changes without modifying files |
-y, --yes | Skip confirmation prompt |
--json | Output results as JSON |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Interactive setup
socket-patch setup
# Non-interactive
socket-patch setup -y
# Preview changes
socket-patch setup --dry-run
# JSON output for scripting
socket-patch setup --json -y
repairDownload missing blobs and clean up unused blobs.
Alias: gc
Usage:
socket-patch repair [options]
Options:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-d, --dry-run | Show what would be done without doing it |
--offline | Skip network operations (cleanup only) |
--download-only | Only download missing blobs, do not clean up |
--json | Output results as JSON |
-m, --manifest-path <path> | Path to manifest (default: .socket/manifest.json) |
--cwd <dir> | Working directory (default: .) |
Examples:
# Repair (download missing + clean up unused)
socket-patch repair
# Cleanup only, no downloads
socket-patch repair --offline
# Download missing blobs only
socket-patch repair --download-only
# JSON output
socket-patch repair --json
All commands support --json for machine-readable output. JSON responses always include a "status" field for easy error detection:
# Check for available patches in CI
result=$(socket-patch scan --json --ecosystems npm)
patches=$(echo "$result" | jq '.totalPatches')
# Apply patches and check result
socket-patch apply --json | jq '.status'
# "success", "partial_failure", "no_manifest", or "error"
When stdin is not a TTY (e.g., in CI pipelines), interactive prompts auto-proceed instead of blocking. Progress indicators and ANSI colors are automatically suppressed when output is piped.
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
SOCKET_API_TOKEN | API authentication token |
SOCKET_ORG_SLUG | Default organization slug |
SOCKET_API_URL | API base URL (default: https://api.socket.dev) |
Downloaded patches (for npm, Python, and Rust packages) are stored in .socket/manifest.json:
{
"patches": {
"pkg:npm/package-name@1.0.0": {
"uuid": "unique-patch-id",
"exportedAt": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
"files": {
"path/to/file.js": {
"beforeHash": "git-sha256-before",
"afterHash": "git-sha256-after"
}
},
"vulnerabilities": {
"GHSA-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx": {
"cves": ["CVE-2024-12345"],
"summary": "Vulnerability summary",
"severity": "high",
"description": "Detailed description"
}
},
"description": "Patch description",
"license": "MIT",
"tier": "free"
}
}
}
Patched file contents are in .socket/blob/ (named by git SHA256 hash).
| Platform | Architecture |
|---|---|
| macOS | ARM64 (Apple Silicon), x86_64 (Intel) |
| Linux | x86_64, ARM64 |
| Windows | x86_64 |
FAQs
CLI tool and schema library for applying security patches to dependencies
The npm package @socketsecurity/socket-patch receives a total of 16,772 weekly downloads. As such, @socketsecurity/socket-patch popularity was classified as popular.
We found that @socketsecurity/socket-patch demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 2 open source maintainers collaborating on the project.
Did you know?

Socket for GitHub automatically highlights issues in each pull request and monitors the health of all your open source dependencies. Discover the contents of your packages and block harmful activity before you install or update your dependencies.

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