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npm audit CI/CD integration with Snapsec VM

This guide shows you, step by step, how to:
  1. Run npm audit in your GitHub Actions or GitLab CI pipeline.
  2. Generate a JSON report.
  3. Send that JSON report directly to Snapsec VM using a webhook.
You do not need to be a CI/CD expert to follow this guide.

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1. Prerequisites

  • A Node.js project with a package.json and package-lock.json.
  • Snapsec:
    • An Assessment in Snapsec VM where npm audit vulnerabilities will be stored.
    • Assessment ID (<assessment-id>)
    • API key (<your-api-key>)
  • CI environment with curl available.

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2. Create an assessment in Snapsec VM

Before you send any results, create a dedicated assessment in Snapsec VM that will hold the npm audit findings:
  1. Log in to the Snapsec UI.
  2. Go to the VM / Assessments section.
  3. Click New Assessment (or the equivalent button) and give it a clear name, for example:
    • npm audit - MyService
  4. Save the assessment and copy its Assessment ID value.
You will use this Assessment ID in the webhook URL in the next steps.

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3. Generate npm audit JSON report (locally or in CI)

First, make sure your Node.js dependencies are installed and then run npm audit with JSON output. 
npm install
npm audit --json > npm-audit.json
This command installs your dependencies and generates a machine-readable report at npm-audit.json. You can try this locally first to confirm it works before adding it to your CI.

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4. Push npm audit JSON directly to Snapsec VM via webhook

Snapsec already knows how to parse the npm audit JSON format, so you can send the file directly to a dedicated npm-audit import endpoint. 
curl -X POST "https://suite.snapsec.co/csm/api/import/<assessment-id>/npm-audit" \
     -H "x-api-key: <your-api-key>" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d @npm-audit.json \
     -k
Important: Replace <assessment-id> with your actual Assessment ID and <your-api-key> with your API key. Note on the -k flag: This flag tells curl to perform an “insecure” SSL transfer, which bypasses certificate validation. You may need this for local or development environments. Remove it if your endpoint has a valid SSL certificate.
Below are ready-to-use examples for GitHub Actions and GitLab CI.

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5. GitHub Actions example

name: npm audit to Snapsec

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:

jobs:
  npm-audit-snapsec:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup Node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: "20"

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm install

      - name: Run npm audit
        run: npm audit --json > npm-audit.json
      - name: Push to Snapsec
        env:
          SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID: ${{ secrets.SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID }}
          SNAPSEC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.SNAPSEC_API_KEY }}
        run: |
          curl -X POST "https://suite.snapsec.co/csm/api/import/${SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID}/npm-audit" \
               -H "x-api-key: ${SNAPSEC_API_KEY}" \
               -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
               -d @npm-audit.json \
               -k
How to use this:
  1. Create .github/workflows/npm-audit-to-snapsec.yml in your repository.
  2. Copy the YAML above into that file.
  3. In your GitHub repository settings, create secrets:
    • SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID
    • SNAPSEC_API_KEY
  4. Push your changes. GitHub Actions will run the workflow on each push or pull request.

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6. GitLab CI example

If you use GitLab, add a job like this to your .gitlab-ci.yml: 
npm_audit_to_snapsec:
  image: node:20
  stage: test
  script:
    - npm install
    - npm audit --json > npm-audit.json
    - >
      curl -X POST
      "https://suite.snapsec.co/csm/api/import/${SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID}/npm-audit"
      -H "x-api-key: ${SNAPSEC_API_KEY}"
      -H "Content-Type: application/json"
      -d @npm-audit.json
      -k
  variables:
    SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID: "$SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID"
    SNAPSEC_API_KEY: "$SNAPSEC_API_KEY"
  only:
    - merge_requests
    - main
How to use this:
  1. Create or edit .gitlab-ci.yml in the root of your repository.
  2. Add the npm_audit_to_snapsec job shown above.
  3. In your GitLab project, go to Settings → CI/CD → Variables and add:
    • SNAPSEC_ASSESSMENT_ID
    • SNAPSEC_API_KEY
  4. Commit and push your changes. GitLab will run the job on merge requests and on the main branch.
With these examples, even if you are new to CI/CD, you can:
  1. Run npm audit automatically in your pipeline.
  2. Upload the npm-audit.json report directly to Snapsec VM using the provided webhook.