Why Installing an npm Package Can Execute Code on Your Machine (And Why npm v12 Finally Changes That)
For years, the Node.js community has typed the same command billions of times: It's probably the most frequently executed command in the JavaScript ecosystem. We use it to start new projects, add dependencies, update existing ones, or simply bootstrap a development environment. It has become such a routine part of our workflow that most of us no longer stop to think about what actually happens during those few seconds while npm fills node_modules.