Skip to main content

Transparent analysis

Package analysis methodology

Pwned Packages separates observable release evidence from automated narrative. This page documents what is collected, how versions are compared, and where the result can be wrong or incomplete.

1. Resolve the release

The service resolves package metadata from the public npm registry. The first observed release becomes a full baseline. Later releases are compared with the latest completed baseline stored for that package.

2. Collect reviewable evidence

The pipeline records concrete signals before generating any narrative:

  • Added, removed, and modified files.
  • Package manifest and lifecycle-script changes.
  • New executables and paths associated with installation behavior.
  • Open advisory context returned by OSV.
  • The number of files examined and omitted from the narrative prompt.

3. Generate the narrative

An AI model receives a bounded evidence bundle and produces a summary, risk level, confidence statement, notable findings, and recommended actions. Each report names the provider and model used. The narrative is not treated as source evidence.

4. Preserve limitations

A completed report is decision support, not proof that a package is safe or malicious. Truncated excerpts, omitted files, registry metadata, model behavior, and environmental differences can all change the conclusion. Material findings should be verified against package source and the intended execution environment.