[BUG] npm config set replaces environment variables in .npmrc

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

npm config replaces all environment variables variables in ~/.npmrc, e.g.:

root@ab19aeb5ad2d:/# export ANOTHER_NPM_TOKEN=foo
root@ab19aeb5ad2d:/# export NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN=bar
root@ab19aeb5ad2d:/# cat ~/.npmrc
@mycompany:registry=https://git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/
//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken=${NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN}
@someprivaterepo:registry=https://registry.npmjs.org
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${ANOTHER_NPM_TOKEN}

root@ab19aeb5ad2d:/# npm config set -- '//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken' '${NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN}'

root@ab19aeb5ad2d:/# cat ~/.npmrc
@mycompany:registry=https://git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/
//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken=${NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN}
@someprivaterepo:registry=https://registry.npmjs.org
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=foo                                   <============= HERE

As you can see this line (completely unrelated to the invoked npm config command):

//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${ANOTHER_NPM_TOKEN}

for some reason is being replaced with an actual variable value:

//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=foo 

Expected Behavior

npm config should not touch variables and lines of config completely unrelated to the invoked command, so line

//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${ANOTHER_NPM_TOKEN}

should remain intact.

Steps To Reproduce

No response

Environment

• npm: I've tried both 8.19.4 and 9.5.0 - they both show exactly same behaviour.
• Node.js: v18.12.0
• OS Name: debian:bullseye docker image.
• System Model Name:
• npm config:

; "user" config from /root/.npmrc

@mycompany:registry = "https://git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/"
@someprivaterepo:registry = "https://registry.npmjs.org"
//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken = (protected)
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken = (protected)

; node bin location = /usr/local/bin/node
; node version = v18.12.0
; npm local prefix = /app
; npm version = 8.19.4
; cwd = /app
; HOME = /root
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

[wraithgar]

This is not an npm problem it is a shell problem. You need to escape the $ so that what npm actually gets is the literal string with the $ and not the environment variable.

bash-3.2$ npm config set //custom-server/:_authToken "${FOO}"
bash-3.2$ tail -1 ~/.npmrc
//custom-server/:_authToken=test
bash-3.2$ npm config set //custom-server/:_authToken "\${FOO}"
bash-3.2$ tail -1 ~/.npmrc
//custom-server/:_authToken=${FOO}

@wraithgar unfortunatelly it doesn't fix anything - it still replaces a completely unrelated value in the config:

root@1a751f575fd0:/# export ANOTHER_NPM_TOKEN=foo
root@1a751f575fd0:/# export NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN=bar
root@1a751f575fd0:/# cat > ~/.npmrc
@mycompany:registry=https://git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/
//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken=${NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN}
@someprivaterepo:registry=https://registry.npmjs.org
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${ANOTHER_NPM_TOKEN}

root@1a751f575fd0:/# npm config set -- '//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken' "\${NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN}"

root@1a751f575fd0:/# cat ~/.npmrc
@mycompany:registry=https://git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/
//git.mycompany.com/api/v4/projects/8/packages/npm/:_authToken=${NPM_DEPLOY_TOKEN}
@someprivaterepo:registry=https://registry.npmjs.org
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=foo                                      < ======================== HERE

[ymatsiuk]

I can confirm that the problem described exists

/tmp # npm config set //custom-server-0/:_authToken "\${FOO}"
/tmp # cat .npmrc
//custom-server-0/:_authToken=${FOO}

/tmp # export FOO=foo
/tmp # npm config set //custom-server-1/:_authToken "\${BAR}"
/tmp # cat .npmrc
//custom-server-0/:_authToken=foo
//custom-server-1/:_authToken=${BAR}

/tmp # npm config set //custom-server-0/:_authToken "\${FOO}"
/tmp # cat .npmrc
//custom-server-0/:_authToken=${FOO}
//custom-server-1/:_authToken=${BAR}

npm is substituting variables that are present in environment with their values