README

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# npm manifest confusion checker
+
+A `python` script to check `npm` packages for manifest mismatches, [as reported by Darcy Clarke.](https://blog.vlt.sh/blog/the-massive-hole-in-the-npm-ecosystem)
+
+## Usage
+
+Install the requirements first:
+
+```
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+```
+
+### Single package
+
+To check a single package, pass the name of a package to the script as the first argument. Here, I'm using the package Darcy has helpfully provided:
+
+```
+$ ./npm-manifest-check darcyclarke-manifest-pkg
+Version mismatch for darcyclarke-manifest-pkg!
+Reported version: 2.1.15
+Actual version: 3.0.0
+Dependency mismatch detected for darcyclarke-manifest-pkg!
+Reported dependencies: {}
+Actual dependencies: {'sleepover': '*'}
+Scripts mismatch detected for darcyclarke-manifest-pkg!
+Reported scripts: {}
+Actual scripts: {'install': 'touch ./bad-pkg-write && echo "bad pkg exec!"\n'}
+Name mismatch detected for darcyclarke-manifest-pkg!
+Reported name: darcyclarke-manifest-pkg
+Actual name: express
+```
+
+A 'good' package will look like this:
+
+```
+$ ./npm-manifest-check.py color
+No mismatch detected for color.
+```
+
+### Multiple packages
+
+`check_packages.sh` is a wrapper script which reads a list of packages to check from a `packages.list` file. Add the packages you want to check to this file, one package per line, and start the script:
+
+```
+./check_pages.sh
+```
+
+It will only report packages that have a mismatch.

npm-manifest-check.py

@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 import requests
 import json
 
-# hex checksum = file name
 # https://www.npmjs.com/package/darcyclarke-manifest-pkg/v/2.1.15/index
+# hex checksum = file name
 # use hex to get *actual* manifest:
 # https://www.npmjs.com/package/darcyclarke-manifest-pkg/file/a1c6250cb3f94bb3487c1bfb673d279642208b5db39a6c052a5c764f0d1abea5
 
@@ -16,8 +16,14 @@ def parse_manifest(pkg):
     latest_ver = parsed['dist-tags']['latest']
     latest_manifest = parsed['versions'][latest_ver]
 
-    dependencies = parsed['versions'][latest_ver]['dependencies']
-    scripts = parsed['versions'][latest_ver]['scripts']
+    try:
+        dependencies = parsed['versions'][latest_ver]['dependencies']
+    except KeyError:
+        dependencies = None
+    try:
+        scripts = parsed['versions'][latest_ver]['scripts']
+    except KeyError:
+        scripts = None
     name = parsed['versions'][latest_ver]['name']
 
     return latest_ver, dependencies, scripts, name
@@ -32,8 +38,14 @@ def get_actual_manifest(pkg, ver):
 
     manifest = json.loads(requests.get(manifest_url).text)
     version = manifest['version']
-    dependencies = manifest['dependencies']
-    scripts = manifest['scripts']
+    try:
+        dependencies = manifest['dependencies']
+    except KeyError:
+        dependencies = None
+    try:
+        scripts = manifest['scripts']
+    except KeyError:
+        scripts = None
     name = manifest['name']
 
     return version, dependencies, scripts, name