When Vercel suddenly throws a warning saying your project is using a vulnerable version of Next.js, it feels annoying as hell — especially when everything was working perfectly yesterday. But security issues don’t wait, and recently a few major CVEs were flagged around React Server Components and some older Next.js builds.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through exactly how I fixed the issue in my own project at TechLift Digital — whether you're using pnpm or npm.

Let’s get into it. 🚀

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🌩️ Why Vercel Shows the Vulnerability Warning

Vercel automatically scans your package.json and lockfiles. If it detects any Next.js, React, or React-DOM version tied to a known CVE (like CVE-2025-55182), it drops a warning during deployment.

This doesn’t necessarily mean your app is hacked — it just means your dependency versions need a patch.

And yes, even if you set "next": "latest" in package.json, Vercel will still warn you if your lockfile is pinned to an older version like 16.0.6.

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🛠️ How I Fixed It (pnpm & npm)

✅ Fix for pnpm users

If you're using pnpm, the simplest fix is:

1. Delete the lockfile

rm -f pnpm-lock.yaml

2. Reinstall all packages

pnpm install

That’s it. 🎉 pnpm will pull the latest patched version of Next.js, React, and React DOM automatically.

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✅ Fix for npm users

npm behaves differently because "latest" does NOT auto-update your installed version — it sticks to whatever is inside package-lock.json.

So here’s the fix:

1. Delete your lockfile

rm -f package-lock.json

2. Pin your Next.js and React versions manually

In package.json, update:

"next": "16.0.7",
"react": "19.0.1",
"react-dom": "19.0.1"

3. Reinstall everything

npm install

Now you’re running on patched, secure versions — no more warnings.

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🔒 Why It Works

The real issue isn’t "next": "latest" — it’s the lockfile. Even if you ask for latest, the lockfile remembers the old version and Vercel assumes you're intentionally using that older build.

By deleting the lockfile, you force your package manager to fetch the most recent safe version.

By pinning versions explicitly (like "next": "16.0.7"), you stop accidental regressions and avoid waking up to surprise warnings in the future.

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⚡ Pro Tip for Production Teams

To avoid future issues:

• Never deploy with "latest" in production projects
• Always pin versions for stability
• Commit your lockfile
• Run npm audit or pnpm audit weekly
• Follow Vercel’s changelog for security advisories

Security isn’t exciting, but it protects your clients and your brand.

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🎉 Final Thoughts

Fixing the Vercel vulnerability warning is actually super simple — just a matter of resetting your lockfile and upgrading to patched versions.

At TechLift Digital, we’re always pushing for faster, more secure, and more scalable builds. If you’re running a Next.js project and want help optimizing or securing it, feel free to reach out.

Stay updated. Stay secure. More Tech • Less Stress 🚀