We're lucky this issue was detected because of an error. I would bet this has happened or is happing now without anyone knowing. Javascript is particularly difficult to find malicious code as code can be executed in many forms. As long as eval exists and npm allows for pre/post-install functions and require executes code there's not much we can do except be ignorant to what's actually running every time we use node.
I haven't been a big fan of ORM's even before DataMapper in Ruby. I found that it was too easy to make non-performant queries and found myself writing raw SQL anyway.
Some argue that using an ORM means you can switch underlying database technologies on a whim. I think this is an incredibly weak argument. How often do people truly switch database technologies?
I created a small wrapper around the node postgres library to make querying a little easier.
Have a look at https://github.com/joeandaverde/tinypg - It's a no frills library that makes it easy to execute SQL files as prepared statements and pass parameters as keys on objects.
The loudest people in the Node community have been evangelizing this practice for as long as I can remember. This shouldn't come as a surprise.
The argument, "If I didn't write it I don't have to think about it" is ludicrous. I just have to point at the left-pad incident disprove the premise of this argument.
The analogy of building things with a bunch of npm lego blocks is laughable. Those responsible for advocating the use of trivial functions by acquiring module dependencies are leading the masses astray.
"But, If I find that there's a bug in a module I can AUTOMATICALLY fix it everywhere!"
No.
You still need to assess how the change to that module impacts any code that depends on it. Just by updating a module and posting a "minor" bug fix can lead to other bugs that RELIED on the behavior as it was originally written.
It's simple, write your own trivial functions. Test them. Maintain them.
P.S.
Another module that can easily be in-lined to every code base you own. (3 million downloads this week).
I've certainly benefitted from the vast ecosystem of npm. I greatly appreciate the work that goes into making this ecosystem what it is. However, I think we need to be a bit more critical when it comes to acquiring dependencies. Especially authors of very prominent packages.
Fun fact: one of my projects (a web api) depends on over 700 unique name/version modules.