SocketDev · Martin Torp (mtorp) · Jun 18, 2026
diff --git a/src/commands/scan/handle-create-new-scan.mts b/src/commands/scan/handle-create-new-scan.mts
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ export async function handleCreateNewScan({
       branchName,
       cwd,
       orgSlug,
+      outputKind,
       packagePaths,
       reachabilityOptions: mergedReachabilityOptions,
       repoName,

diff --git a/src/commands/scan/handle-scan-reach.mts b/src/commands/scan/handle-scan-reach.mts
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ export async function handleScanReach({
   const result = await performReachabilityAnalysis({
     cwd,
     orgSlug,
+    outputKind,
     outputPath,
     packagePaths,
     reachabilityOptions: mergedReachabilityOptions,

diff --git a/src/commands/scan/perform-reachability-analysis.mts b/src/commands/scan/perform-reachability-analysis.mts
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ import { setupSdk } from '../../utils/sdk.mts'
 import { socketDevLink } from '../../utils/terminal-link.mts'
 import { fetchOrganization } from '../organization/fetch-organization-list.mts'
 
-import type { CResult } from '../../types.mts'
+import type { CResult, OutputKind } from '../../types.mts'
 import type { AutoManifestConfig } from '../../utils/auto-manifest-config.mts'
 import type { PURL_Type } from '../../utils/ecosystem.mts'
 import type { Spinner } from '@socketsecurity/registry/lib/spinner'
+import type { StdioOptions } from 'node:child_process'
 
 export type ReachabilityOptions = {
   autoManifestConfig?: AutoManifestConfig | undefined
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ export type ReachabilityAnalysisOptions = {
   branchName?: string | undefined
   cwd?: string | undefined
   orgSlug?: string | undefined
+  outputKind?: OutputKind | undefined
   outputPath?: string | undefined
   packagePaths?: string[] | undefined
   reachabilityOptions: ReachabilityOptions
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ export async function performReachabilityAnalysis(
     branchName,
     cwd = process.cwd(),
     orgSlug,
+    outputKind = 'text',
     outputPath,
     packagePaths,
     reachabilityOptions,
@@ -270,14 +273,22 @@ export async function performReachabilityAnalysis(
     coanaEnv['SOCKET_BRANCH_NAME'] = branchName
   }
 
+  // In machine-readable modes (--json/--markdown) the final payload is written
+  // to stdout by the output layer. Coana streams progress/logs over stdout
+  // under `inherit`, which would corrupt that payload, so redirect the child's
+  // stdout to our stderr (fd 2). Progress stays visible for humans and
+  // `2>/dev/null` isolates the JSON/markdown. stdin and stderr stay inherited.
+  const coanaStdio: StdioOptions =
+    outputKind === 'text' ? 'inherit' : ['inherit', 2, 'inherit']
+
   try {
     // Run Coana with the manifests tar hash.
     const coanaResult = await spawnCoanaDlx(coanaArgs, orgSlug, {
       coanaVersion: reachabilityOptions.reachVersion,
       cwd,
       env: coanaEnv,
       spinner,
-      stdio: 'inherit',
+      stdio: coanaStdio,
     })
 
     if (wasSpinning) {

diff --git a/src/commands/scan/perform-reachability-analysis.test.mts b/src/commands/scan/perform-reachability-analysis.test.mts
@@ -162,3 +162,77 @@ describe('performReachabilityAnalysis facts-file resolution', () => {
     expect(result.ok && result.data.tier1ReachabilityScanId).toBeUndefined()
   })
 })
+
+describe('performReachabilityAnalysis stdio routing by output kind', () => {
+  let scanCwd: string
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+    mockFetchOrganization.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      data: { organizations: {} },
+    })
+    mockHasEnterpriseOrgPlan.mockReturnValue(true)
+    mockSpawnCoanaDlx.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, data: '' })
+    scanCwd = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), 'socket-rea-stdio-'))
+    writeFileSync(
+      path.join(scanCwd, '.socket.facts.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ components: [] }),
+    )
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    rmSync(scanCwd, { force: true, recursive: true })
+  })
+
+  it('inherits stdio in text output mode', async () => {
+    await performReachabilityAnalysis({
+      cwd: scanCwd,
+      outputKind: 'text',
+      reachabilityOptions: makeReachabilityOptions(),
+      target: scanCwd,
+    })
+
+    expect(mockSpawnCoanaDlx.mock.calls[0]![2]).toMatchObject({
+      stdio: 'inherit',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('defaults to inheriting stdio when no output kind is given', async () => {
+    await performReachabilityAnalysis({
+      cwd: scanCwd,
+      reachabilityOptions: makeReachabilityOptions(),
+      target: scanCwd,
+    })
+
+    expect(mockSpawnCoanaDlx.mock.calls[0]![2]).toMatchObject({
+      stdio: 'inherit',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('redirects Coana stdout to stderr (fd 2) in json output mode', async () => {
+    await performReachabilityAnalysis({
+      cwd: scanCwd,
+      outputKind: 'json',
+      reachabilityOptions: makeReachabilityOptions(),
+      target: scanCwd,
+    })
+
+    expect(mockSpawnCoanaDlx.mock.calls[0]![2]).toMatchObject({
+      stdio: ['inherit', 2, 'inherit'],
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('redirects Coana stdout to stderr (fd 2) in markdown output mode', async () => {
+    await performReachabilityAnalysis({
+      cwd: scanCwd,
+      outputKind: 'markdown',
+      reachabilityOptions: makeReachabilityOptions(),
+      target: scanCwd,
+    })
+
+    expect(mockSpawnCoanaDlx.mock.calls[0]![2]).toMatchObject({
+      stdio: ['inherit', 2, 'inherit'],
+    })
+  })
+})