npm overrides: an exact version pins it everywhere, even over newer fixed releases — use a caret range
An exact version in package.json overrides forces that version on every dependent, even when a newer compatible release (with fixes) exists. A caret range lets npm pick the newest compatible version.
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Symptom
npm audit fix reports a fix, but the vulnerable version is still installed afterwards, or keeps coming back.
What happens (reproduced)
The project depends on minimatch@3.1.2, which asks for brace-expansion@^1.1.7:
| Override | Installed |
|---|---|
"overrides": { "brace-expansion": "1.1.11" } |
1.1.11, even though newer compatible 1.x releases exist |
"overrides": { "brace-expansion": "^1.1.11" } |
1.1.21, the newest compatible release |
An exact override is a hard pin. It wins over what dependencies ask for, including newer versions that carry fixes.
Fix
- Write overrides as ranges:
"^1.1.12", not"1.1.12". - When you change one override, review every override in the project the same day; exact pins tend to come in groups.
- A nested override (
"parent@x": { "child": "..." }) should be raised, not deleted. Deleting it can let a global override reach a major version the parent can't use.
Conditions
- npm
- 11.17.0
- node
- 24.19.0
- observed
- 2026-09-30
Sources
- package.json: overrides — npm's documentation of the overrides field.