Audit npm Packages for Security and Supply Chain Risk
Check any npm package for vulnerabilities, malware indicators, typosquatting, and supply chain risk before installing.
Detect Typosquatted and Malicious npm Packages
Identify npm packages that impersonate popular libraries through typosquatting, namespace confusion, or name similarity attacks.
Quick answer: Use the Supply Chain Risk tool through ToolRouter to detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages directly from Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw — connect once, then drive it with plain-language prompts. No code required.
ToolTyposquatting attacks work because developers type package names quickly. Installing `lodahs` instead of `lodash`, or `crossenv` instead of `cross-env`, can execute credential-stealing or backdoor code silently. These packages are designed to evade detection by looking legitimate — they often include the real code alongside the malicious payload.
The package_risk skill includes typosquat detection signals: download count anomalies relative to similar package names, newly created packages with names close to top-downloaded libraries, and behavioural indicators from static analysis. A package with 80 downloads that's one character away from a package with 80 million is a signal worth investigating.
Developers who want to verify a package name before installing, security tools that scan package.json for suspicious names, and teams onboarding contractors who might have installed packages on their machines all use this to catch typosquat attempts before they become incidents.
How to detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages with Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw
Claude cross-references package risk signals with its knowledge of popular npm packages to identify typosquat candidates — explaining exactly which legitimate package a suspicious name is imitating, what the malicious package's download pattern suggests about how it's being spread, and what to do if the package has already been installed.
Connect ToolRouter to Claude
1Open connector settings Open Settings
2Add a custom connector with these details
Name
ToolRouterURL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Let Claude set you up Open Claude
How to detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages with Claude
Once connected (see setup above), use the Supply Chain Risk tool:
- Ask: "Check supply chain risk for the package crossenv using supply-chain-risk"
- Claude returns risk signals including typosquat indicators
- Ask: "Which legitimate package does this appear to be impersonating?"
- Request: "What should I do if this package has already been installed in a project?"
Example prompt for Claude
Try this with Claude using the Supply Chain Risk tool
Check supply chain risk for these package names using supply-chain-risk: requesst, expresss, axois, lodahs. Identify which appear to be typosquats, what they're imitating, and the risk level of each.
Tips for Claude
- Check any package name you're unsure about before installing — typosquats are often one character off
- Ask Claude to verify the correct spelling of a package if you're not 100% sure
- Ask what to do if a typosquat has been in your codebase — what to audit and what to rotate
ChatGPT presents typosquat risk findings in clear security alerts and advisory formats, making it easy to communicate findings to development teams, produce security incident reports, and create guidance documents that help developers avoid common name confusion attacks.
Connect ToolRouter to ChatGPT
1Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced settings and enable Developer mode
2Click Create app and enter these details
Name
ToolRouterIcon
Download
DownloadDescription
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.MCP Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Check the box and click Create
How to detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages with ChatGPT
Once connected (see setup above), use the Supply Chain Risk tool:
- Ask: "Check supply chain risk for the package node-fetch2 using supply-chain-risk"
- ChatGPT returns a risk assessment with typosquat signals
- Request: "Write a security advisory for our development team"
- Follow up: "What are the most commonly typosquatted npm packages to watch out for?"
Example prompt for ChatGPT
Try this with ChatGPT using the Supply Chain Risk tool
Check a list of suspicious package names for typosquatting risk using supply-chain-risk. Write a security advisory explaining any confirmed typosquats, what they're targeting, and the recommended response.
Tips for ChatGPT
- Ask for a list of common typosquat patterns (extra letters, swapped characters, added hyphens)
- Request a remediation checklist if a typosquat was installed — secrets to rotate, systems to audit
- Ask ChatGPT to draft a team communication for any confirmed malicious package findings
Copilot integrates typosquat detection into your IDE workflow, letting you check package names before installation and build automated name validation into your project tooling. The risk signals include the similarity scores needed to build fuzzy matching against known legitimate packages.
Connect ToolRouter to Copilot
1In your agent, go to Tools → Add a tool → New tool
2Choose Model Context Protocol and enter these details
Server name
ToolRouterServer description
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Set Authentication to None and click Create
How to detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages with Copilot
Once connected (see setup above), use the Supply Chain Risk tool:
- In Copilot Chat: "Check supply chain risk for a suspicious package name using supply-chain-risk"
- Copilot returns risk data including typosquat indicators
- Ask: "Write a pre-install hook that checks package names against typosquat risk scores"
- Request: "Build a function that flags packages with names similar to our top 20 dependencies"
Example prompt for Copilot
Try this with Copilot using the Supply Chain Risk tool
Check supply chain risk for 10 package names flagged as suspicious using supply-chain-risk. Return as JSON with package name, typosquat risk score, and the likely target package for each.
Tips for Copilot
- Build a pre-install hook into your npm workflow to check new packages before they're added
- Maintain a list of your top 50 dependencies and check for name variants periodically
- Build Levenshtein distance checks against your known-good package list for local validation
OpenClaw runs scheduled typosquat risk scans across your dependency lists and watchlists, alerting security teams to newly published packages that match suspicious patterns before they can be accidentally installed across your development organisation.
Connect ToolRouter to OpenClaw
1Install the CLI
npm install -g toolrouter-mcp2Call tools directly from OpenClaw
toolrouter-mcp call web-search search --query "AI tools"
toolrouter-mcp toolsHow to detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages with OpenClaw
Once connected (see setup above), use the Supply Chain Risk tool:
- Run: "Check typosquat risk for packages similar to our top 100 dependencies using supply-chain-risk"
- OpenClaw returns risk assessments for all name variants checked
- Route high-risk findings to your security alert channel
- Schedule weekly runs to catch newly published typosquats
Example prompt for OpenClaw
Try this with OpenClaw using the Supply Chain Risk tool
Check supply chain risk for 50 package names that are variants of our top dependencies using supply-chain-risk. Return flagged typosquats sorted by risk score with the likely target package for each.
Tips for OpenClaw
- Run weekly scans against name variants of your critical dependencies
- Alert immediately on any new package within Levenshtein distance 2 of a high-download library
- Feed findings into your SIEM for correlation with developer machine activity logs
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages with an AI assistant?
Identify npm packages that impersonate popular libraries through typosquatting, namespace confusion, or name similarity attacks. Connect the Supply Chain Risk tool to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw through ToolRouter, then ask the assistant in plain language. For example: Ask: "Check supply chain risk for the package crossenv using supply-chain-risk" Claude returns risk signals including typosquat indicators
Which AI assistants can detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages?
Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw can all detect typosquatted and malicious npm packages using the Supply Chain Risk tool through ToolRouter, with no API keys or coding required.
What does the Supply Chain Risk tool do?
Assess software supply chain risk for npm packages — dependency vulnerabilities, malware, and typosquatting.
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