npm ERR! code SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN — request to https://registry.npmjs.org/ failed, reason: self signed certificate in certificate chain
A corporate proxy or antivirus is intercepting HTTPS, and npm doesn’t trust its certificate.
Exact message you may see
code SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAINself signed certificate in certificate chain
Seen on:
npm
Meaning
Point npm at the company root CA instead of turning strict-ssl off.
Common causes
- Corporate SSL inspection
- Antivirus HTTPS scanning
- Private registry with internal CA
⚡ Quick fix
- npm config set cafile /path/to/corp-root.pem
- Or set NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS for Node processes
- Avoid strict-ssl=false except temporarily
Detailed fix by platform
npm
npm config set cafile /etc/ssl/certs/corp-root.pem
How to diagnose
- Network — Proxy/inspection present?
- Recent change — Did it start after a deploy, upgrade, or configuration change? Compare with the last working version.
🔧 Still not fixed?
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Where this error sits
Origin: Build & delivery. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):
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Last updated 14 Oct 2026