What is Dependency Audit?
Checking the third-party packages your app uses for known security vulnerabilities, outdated versions, and licensing issues.
In plain English
Like checking the ingredients list on food packaging. You trust the brand, but you still want to know what's in it — especially if there's been a recall. Dependency auditing checks if any of the thousands of packages your app uses have known security problems.
Why it matters
A typical web app uses 500-2,000 third-party packages (including sub-dependencies). Any one of them could have a known security vulnerability. Attackers actively exploit vulnerable packages because they know developers don't update regularly. The Log4Shell vulnerability (2021) affected millions of applications through a single logging library.
How to audit
Run npm audit (for JavaScript) or pip audit (for Python) to check for known vulnerabilities. GitHub's Dependabot automatically scans your dependencies and creates pull requests to fix vulnerabilities. Snyk provides deeper scanning and monitoring. Run audits before every deployment and set up automated alerts for new vulnerabilities.
AI tools and dependencies
AI coding tools install packages without checking for vulnerabilities, abandoned maintenance, or alternative options. They may install packages that are outdated, have known CVEs, or are unnecessarily heavy for the functionality needed. After any AI-assisted development session, run a full dependency audit.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if npm audit finds vulnerabilities?
Run npm audit fix for automatic fixes. For vulnerabilities that can't be auto-fixed, check if a newer version of the package exists. If the vulnerable package is a deep sub-dependency, check if updating the parent package resolves it. For critical vulnerabilities with no fix, consider replacing the package entirely.
Check your app
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Black-box review of your public-facing app. No code access needed.
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In-depth review of your source code for security, quality, and best practices.
- Security vulnerabilities
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- Dependency audit
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- Everything in both products
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