mock.property(): 'process.env' does not accept an accessor(getter/setter) descriptor

Version

v22.21.0

Platform

Linux regseblaptop4l 6.14.0-34-generic #34-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Wed Sep 17 09:21:29 UTC 2025 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

Create index.js:

import { mock } from "node:test";

console.log(Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process.env, "PATH"));

mock.property(process.env, "PATH", "foo");

console.log(process.env.PATH);

node index.js

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always.

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

The variable process.env.PATH is mocked by mock.property(object, propertyName[, value]).

{
  value: '/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin',
  writable: true,
  enumerable: true,
  configurable: true
}
foo

What do you see instead?

{
  value: '/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin',
  writable: true,
  enumerable: true,
  configurable: true
}
node:internal/test_runner/mock/mock:308
    ObjectDefineProperty(object, propertyName, {
    ^

TypeError: 'process.env' does not accept an accessor(getter/setter) descriptor
    at defineProperty (<anonymous>)
    at new MockPropertyContext (node:internal/test_runner/mock/mock:308:5)
    at MockTracker.property (node:internal/test_runner/mock/mock:717:7)
    at file:///home/regseb/testcase/index.js:5:6
    at ModuleJob.run (node:internal/modules/esm/module_job:343:25)
    at async onImport.tracePromise.__proto__ (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:665:26)
    at async asyncRunEntryPointWithESMLoader (node:internal/modules/run_main:117:5) {
  code: 'ERR_INVALID_OBJECT_DEFINE_PROPERTY'
}

Node.js v22.21.0

Additional information

Pull request for adding the mock.property() method: #58438

can i please work on this! kindly assign it to me.

can i please work on this! kindly assign it to me.

you can just send a PR, we usually dont assign issues

can i please work on this! kindly assign it to me.

you can just send a PR, we usually dont assign issues

Got it, thank you! I’ll start working on it and raise a PR once it’s ready.

@marco-ippolito

@marco-ippolito Kindly review the PR when you get a chance. Thank you!

@himself65

Note that this was a deliberate design decision made in #28006. If the motivation for that change still stands, then this is WONTFIX.

The question is whether an accessor property could be considered consistent with the behaviour of conventional process.env properties, if it's a getter/setter pair and is configurable and enumerable. Obviously there's no guarantee that the user-provided accessor will behave as expected.

(cc: @himself65, @addaleax)

This issue has been marked as stale due to 210 days of inactivity.
It will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs. If this is still relevant, please leave a comment or update it to keep it open.

This issue has been automatically closed after 30 days of inactivity following its stale status (no activity for a total of 240 days).
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`mock.property()`: 'process.env' does not accept an accessor(getter/setter) descriptor #60486

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How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

What do you see instead?

Additional information

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mock.property(): 'process.env' does not accept an accessor(getter/setter) descriptor #60486

Description

Version

Platform

Subsystem

What steps will reproduce the bug?

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

What do you see instead?

Additional information

Activity

sakina1303 commented on Oct 30, 2025

marco-ippolito commented on Oct 30, 2025

sakina1303 commented on Oct 30, 2025

sakina1303 commented on Oct 30, 2025

Renegade334 commented on Nov 1, 2025

github-actions commented on May 31, 2026

github-actions commented on Jul 1, 2026

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`mock.property()`: 'process.env' does not accept an accessor(getter/setter) descriptor #60486