Cross-env, a crucial npm package for cross-platform environment variable management, saw a minor version update from 3.0.0 to 3.1.0 in October 2016. Both versions share the core functionality of allowing developers to set environment variables in a way that works consistently across different operating systems, eliminating inconsistencies usually encountered when dealing with shell-specific syntax. This is achieved by using cross-spawn as a dependency, ensuring reliable process spawning across platforms.
A look at thepackage.json files reveals that the dependencies and devDependencies remained the same between the two versions, meaning the update likely focused on internal improvements, bug fixes, or other non-breaking changes that didn't necessitate updates to the libraries it relies on. Developers leveraging cross-env to ensure consistent environment configuration in their projects can likely transition seamlessly to version 3.1.0 without the risk of breaking changes. Given the identical dependency declarations, the primary reason to upgrade would likely be to benefit from potentially enhanced stability or to address obscure edge cases as developers are mostly encouraged to use the latest version. If you're already using cross-env, updating to version 3.1.0 is a straightforward way to ensure you're benefiting from any incremental improvements the update offers.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 3.1.0 of the package
Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) in cross-spawn
Versions of the package cross-spawn before 7.0.5 are vulnerable to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) due to improper input sanitization. An attacker can increase the CPU usage and crash the program by crafting a very large and well crafted string.
