Node.js "error:0308010C:digital envelope routines::unsupported" in CI

Node 17+ ships OpenSSL 3, which removed support for the legacy MD4-based hashing that older Webpack 4 / build tooling uses for chunk hashing. The build aborts with error:0308010C.

What this error means

After a Node upgrade, a build fails with error:0308010C:digital envelope routines::unsupported. The same code built fine on older Node with OpenSSL 1.x.

node

Error: error:0308010C:digital envelope routines::unsupported
    at new Hash (node:internal/crypto/hash:69:19)
  opensslErrorStack: [ 'error:03000086:digital envelope routines::initialization error' ],
  library: 'digital envelope routines',
  code: 'ERR_OSSL_EVP_UNSUPPORTED'

Common causes

OpenSSL 3 dropped the legacy hash

OpenSSL 3 moved legacy algorithms into a separate provider. Tools that default to MD4 for hashing fail unless the legacy provider is enabled.

Old Webpack/build tooling

Webpack 4 and some older bundlers hash with an algorithm OpenSSL 3 no longer enables by default, so a Node upgrade breaks them.

How to fix it

Upgrade the build tooling

The durable fix is upgrading Webpack 5+ (or the affected tool), which uses an OpenSSL-3-compatible hash.

Upgrade webpack and its loaders/plugins to v5+.
Rebuild and confirm the hash error is gone.
Remove any legacy-provider workaround afterward.

Enable the legacy provider as a stopgap

Set the OpenSSL legacy provider flag while you cannot upgrade the tool.

workflow

NODE_OPTIONS=--openssl-legacy-provider npm run build

How to prevent it

Keep build tooling current so it works with OpenSSL 3.
Pin a Node version in CI and test upgrades before bumping.
Treat the legacy-provider flag as temporary, not permanent config.