I recently came across this error while working in some personal practice in my react project. It was pretty annoying at first, but I found out how to resolve this issue.
The SSL error in Node.js v17 can leave your builds vulnerable to security threats if not addressed properly. Many suggestions involve downgrading Node.js or using legacy SSL providers, which are temporary hacks and not recommended for long-term security.
In this blog post, I will show you how you can actually fix this error easily.
Reason Behind the SSL Error
In Node.js v17, a security hole in the SSL provider was closed by the developers. This fix created a breaking change that affected SSL packages in NPM as well. If you try to use SSL in Node.js v17 without updating the SSL packages in your package.json, you will encounter this error.
The Safe Solution for npm Users
To resolve the SSL error safely in npm, ensure you are using an updated version of Node.js and packages with security fixes. Start by attempting an update with:
npm update
If the error persists, consider using:
npm audit fix --force
Note that this command can introduce breaking security fixes that may impact complex builds.
Note for Yarn Users
Yarn users can run yarn-audit-fix without installing it as a dependency, using:
npm_config_yes=true npx yarn-audit-fix
Or for Windows PowerShell:
$env:npm_config_yes = 1; npx yarn-audit-fix
By following these solutions, you can effectively resolve the SSL error in Node.js v17 and ensure the security of your builds.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I'm curious to hear if this tutorial helped you. Please let me know your thoughts below in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to avoid missing my upcoming blog posts.
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