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Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Signed-off-by: Abhisek Datta <abhisek.datta@gmail.com>

* Update README.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Signed-off-by: Abhisek Datta <abhisek.datta@gmail.com>

---------

Signed-off-by: Abhisek Datta <abhisek.datta@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
This commit is contained in:
Abhisek Datta
2026-02-16 13:35:58 +05:30
committed by GitHub
co-authored by Copilot
parent ec6cdf5f78
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<div align="center">
<h1>Package Manager Guard (PMG)</h1>
<h3>Prevent supply chain attacks before they happen.</h3>
</div>
<div align="center">
@@ -21,283 +22,187 @@
</div>
<div align="center">
<h3>
PMG protects developers from getting compromised by malicious packages.<br/>
See <a href="https://safedep.io/malicious-npm-package-express-cookie-parser/">example</a>
</h3>
</div>
<br>
<img src="./docs/demo/pmg-intro.gif" width="800" alt="pmg in action">
<div align="center">
<img src="./docs/demo/pmg-intro.gif" width="800" alt="pmg in action">
</div>
## Key Features
## Why PMG?
- Wraps your favorite package manager (eg. `npm`, `pnpm`, `pip` and more)
- Blocks malicious packages at install time
- No configuration required, just install and use
- Maintains package installation event log for transparency and audit trail
- Enforces least privilege and defense in depth using OS native sandboxing
Modern software development relies heavily on open-source packages. However, standard package managers (`npm`, `pip`, etc.) prioritize convenience over security, executing arbitrary code (like `postinstall` scripts) on your machine without validation. This vector is frequently exploited by attackers to steal credentials or inject backdoors.
PMG guarantees its own artifact integrity using GitHub and npm attestations. Users can cryptographically prove that the binary they run
matches the source code they reviewed, eliminating the risk of tampered or malicious builds. See [why and how to trust PMG](docs/trust.md).
**PMG acts as a security middleware layer.** It wraps your package manager to:
1. **Analyze** packages for malware before they are installed.
2. **Sandbox** the installation process to prevent system modification.
3. **Audit** every package installation event.
## Quick Start
Install `pmg` using your favorite package manager:
Get protected in seconds.
```shell
# MacOS/Linux with Homebrew
### 1. Install
**MacOS / Linux (Homebrew)**
```bash
brew install safedep/tap/pmg
```
# Other platforms
**NPM**
```bash
npm install -g @safedep/pmg
```
**Note**: More [installation options](#installation) are available. See [why and how to trust PMG](docs/trust.md).
> See [Installation](#installation) for additional methods.
Set up `pmg` to protect your development environment from malicious packages:
### 2. Setup
```
Configure your shell to use PMG automatically.
```bash
pmg setup install
# Restart your terminal to apply changes
```
> **Note:** Make sure to restart your terminal or source your shell's config file.
### 3. Use
Continue using your favorite package manager as usual:
Continue using your favorite package manager tools as usual. PMG works silently in the background.
```shell
npm install <package-name>
```bash
npm install express
# or
pip install requests
```
```shell
uv pip install <package-name>
If a malicious package is detected, PMG blocks it immediately:
```text
[PMG] Blocked malicious package: malicious-lib@1.0.0
[PMG] Reason: Known malware signature detected
```
## Features
- Malicious package identification using [SafeDep Cloud](https://docs.safedep.io/cloud/malware-analysis) with realtime threat detection
- Proxy based dependency analysis and resolution
- Fast and efficient package verification
- Defense in depth using OS native sandboxing
- Seamless integration with existing package managers
- Automated shell integration with cross-shell support
- Package installation tracking and event logging
| Feature | Description |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Malicious Package Protection** | Real-time protection against malicious packages using [SafeDep](https://docs.safedep.io/cloud/malware-analysis). |
| **Sandboxing** | Enforces least privilege using OS native sandboxing to contain installation scripts. |
| **Dependency Analysis** | Deep scans of direct and transitive dependencies before they hit your disk. |
| **Event Logging** | Keeps a verifiable audit trail of all installed packages. |
| **Zero Config** | Works out of the box with sensible security defaults. |
| **Cross-Shell** | Seamlessly integrates with Zsh, Bash, Fish, and more. |
## Supported Package Managers
PMG supports the following package managers:
PMG supports the tools you already use:
| Package Manager | Status | Command |
| --------------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| `npm` | ✅ | `pmg npm install <package>` |
| `pnpm` | ✅ | `pmg pnpm add <package>` |
| `bun` | ✅ | `pmg bun add <package>` |
| `yarn` | ✅ | `pmg yarn add <package>` |
| `pip` | ✅ | `pmg pip install <package>` |
| `uv` | ✅ | `pmg uv add <package>` or `pmg uv pip install <package>` |
| `poetry` | ✅ | `pmg poetry add <package>` |
| `npx` | ✅ | `pmg npx <package> <action>` |
| `pnpx` | ✅ | `pmg pnpx <package> <action>` |
> Want us to support your favorite package manager? [Open an issue](https://github.com/safedep/pmg/issues) and let us know!
| Ecosystem | Tools | Status | Command Example |
| ----------- | -------- | ------ | ------------------- |
| **Node.js** | `npm` | Yes | `npm install <pkg>` |
| | `pnpm` | Yes | `pnpm add <pkg>` |
| | `yarn` | Yes | `yarn add <pkg>` |
| | `bun` | Yes | `bun add <pkg>` |
| | `npx` | Yes | `npx <pkg>` |
| | `pnpx` | Yes | `pnpx <pkg>` |
| **Python** | `pip` | Yes | `pip install <pkg>` |
| | `poetry` | Yes | `poetry add <pkg>` |
| | `uv` | Yes | `uv add <pkg>` |
## Installation
### Homebrew
You can install `pmg` using `homebrew` in MacOS and Linux
<details>
<summary><strong>Homebrew (MacOS/Linux)</strong></summary>
```bash
brew tap safedep/tap
brew install safedep/tap/pmg
```
### Binaries
</details>
Download the latest binary from the [releases page](https://github.com/safedep/pmg/releases).
### Build from Source
> Ensure $(go env GOPATH)/bin is in your $PATH
<details>
<summary><strong>NPM (Cross-Platform)</strong></summary>
```bash
npm install -g @safedep/pmg
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Go (Build from Source)</strong></summary>
```bash
# Ensure $(go env GOPATH)/bin is in your $PATH
go install github.com/safedep/pmg@latest
```
## Setup
PMG provides built-in commands to automatically configure shell aliases for seamless integration:
### Install Aliases
Set up PMG to intercept package manager commands:
```bash
pmg setup install
```
<details>
<summary>Custom config directory</summary>
```bash
PMG_CONFIG_DIR=/path/to/config pmg setup install
```
</details>
The setup command will:
- Create a `~/.pmg.rc` file containing package manager aliases
- Automatically add a source line to your shell configuration files
- Create a default config file. See [config template](config/config.template.yml)
> **Note**: After running `pmg setup install`, restart your terminal or run `source ~/.zshrc` (or your shell's config file) to activate the aliases.
### Remove Aliases
To remove PMG aliases and restore original package manager behavior:
```bash
pmg setup remove
```
This will:
- Remove the source line from your shell configuration files
- Delete the `~/.pmg.rc` file
> ⚠️ Note: Aliases might still be active in your **current terminal session**. Restart your terminal or use `unalias <cmd>` to remove them instantly.
## Usage
<details>
<summary>Paranoid Mode</summary>
Use the `--paranoid` flag to treat suspicous (unverified) packages as malicious packages.
```bash
pmg --paranoid npm install <package-name>
```
</details>
<details>
<summary>Silent Mode</summary>
Use the `--silent` flag to run PMG in silent mode:
```bash
pmg --silent npm install <package-name>
```
<summary><strong>Binary Download</strong></summary>
Download the latest binary for your platform from the [Releases Page](https://github.com/safedep/pmg/releases).
</details>
<details>
<summary>Dry Run</summary>
## Trust and Security
Use the `--dry-run` flag to skip actual package installation. When enabled `pmg` will not execute
package manager commands. Useful for checking packages and their transitive dependencies for malware.
Security is our first class requirement. PMG builds are reproducible and signed.
* **Attestations**: GitHub and npm attestations are used to guarantee artifact integrity.
* **Verification**: Users can cryptographically prove the binary matches the source code.
* See [Trusting PMG](docs/trust.md) for verification steps.
## Usage Guide
PMG runs transparently, but you can control it when needed.
### Paranoid Mode
Treat all unverified or suspicious packages as malicious.
```bash
pmg --dry-run npm install <package-name>
pmg --paranoid npm install <package>
```
</details>
### Dry Run
<details>
<summary>Verbose Mode</summary>
Use the `--verbose` flag to run PMG in verbose mode:
Simulate installation to check for malware without writing to disk.
```bash
pmg --verbose npm install <package-name>
pmg --dry-run npm install <package>
```
</details>
### Debugging
<details>
<summary>Debugging</summary>
Use the `--debug` flag to enable debug mode:
Enable verbose logs for troubleshooting.
```bash
pmg --debug npm install <package-name>
pmg --debug npm install <package>
```
Store the debug logs in a file:
```bash
pmg --debug --log /tmp/debug.json npm install <package-name>
```
</details>
<details>
<summary>Insecure Installation</summary>
Allows bypassing the blocking behavior when malicious packages are detected during installation.
> ⚠️ **Warning**: This is a security feature bypass. Use with extreme caution and only when you understand the risks.
### Emergency Bypass
> ⚠️ **Warning**: Bypassing security checks exposes users to risk.
```bash
export PMG_INSECURE_INSTALLATION=true
pmg npm install <package-name>
npm install <package>
```
</details>
## Advanced Documentation
## Advanced
- [Trusted Packages](docs/trusted-packages.md)
- [Proxy Mode](docs/proxy-mode.md)
- [Sandbox](docs/sandbox.md)
* [Trusted Packages Configuration](docs/trusted-packages.md)
* [Proxy Mode Architecture](docs/proxy-mode.md)
* [Sandboxing Details](docs/sandbox.md)
## Contributing
Refer to [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md)
## Limitations
<details>
<summary>Private package artifacts inaccessible in non-proxy mode</summary>
If `pmg` cannot retrieve private package artifacts (such as files or metadata), it cannot perform dependency tree analysis. This is a limitation of non-proxy mode, where `pmg` is responsible for resolving dependencies and is unable to resolve transitive dependencies for private (inaccessible) packages.
This limitation does **not** apply when **Proxy Mode is enabled**.
</details>
<details>
<summary>Approximate dependency version resolution</summary>
`pmg` resolves the transitive dependencies of a package to be installed. It does it by querying
package registry APIs such as `npmjs` and `pypi`. However, almost always, dependency versions are
specified as ranges instead of specific version. Different package managers have different ways of
resolving these ranges. It also depends on peer or host dependencies already available in the application.
`pmg` is required to block a malicious package _before_ it is installed. Hence it applies its own heuristic
to choose a version from a version range for evaluation. This is fine when all versions of a given package
is malicious. However, there is a possibility of inconsistency when a specific version of a package is malicious.
</details>
<details>
<summary>PyPI registry scanning only</summary>
`pmg` only scans packages available in the PyPI registry when using any python package manager. Packages installed from
alternative sources such as Git URLs, local file paths, or private registries are not analyzed for
malware detection. This limitation applies to direct installations and transitive dependencies sourced
from non-PyPI locations.
</details>
Contributions are welcome! Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines on how to build and test PMG locally.
## Telemetry
`pmg` collects anonymous telemetry to help us understand how it is used and
improve the product. To disable telemetry, set `PMG_DISABLE_TELEMETRY` environment
variable to `true`.
```bash
export PMG_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=true
```
PMG collects anonymous usage data to improve project stability and reliability.
To disable: `export PMG_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=true`.