diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c2aebc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*.sh text eol=lf
+*.bats text eol=lf
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index c180de1..b6554cc 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ GitHub Issues (org: KofTwentyTwo). Commit format: `feat(#N): description` or `Cl
 - Namespace: `kof22`
 - Orb: `kof22/munitor`
 - Latest stable: `kof22/munitor@0.3.1`
+- Release candidate: `kof22/munitor@0.3.2` (stable tag publication pending)
 - Dev snapshot: `kof22/munitor@dev:snapshot`
 
 `0.3.0` includes first-class pnpm support, repository-owned Dockerfiles for
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f14d84..7a6c4b1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -569,3 +569,19 @@ Pipeline generation flow:
 5. Runs `envsubst` for variable substitution
 6. Processes `##IF_*##` / `##ENDIF_*##` conditional blocks
 7. Validates output YAML and passes to CircleCI continuation
+
+## Temporary npm audit exceptions
+
+The default npm audit gate remains unchanged. For a reviewed development-only HIGH
+advisory with no patched package release, a repository may commit
+`.npm-audit-exceptions.json` with schemaVersion 1 and an exceptions array. Each entry
+requires a register ID, exact GHSA advisory ID, package, version, development scope
+and UTC expiry date. See Website-Frontend's EX-0008 for the first consumer.
+
+The full npm audit runs alongside a production audit. All production HIGH/CRITICAL
+and all CRITICAL findings fail. Only the named advisory and its propagated HIGH
+findings can pass, and every affected lockfile path must have dev true and the exact
+excepted version. Audit errors, unknown chains and expired exceptions fail. A new
+upstream package release also fails and requires review. Trivy remains unchanged.
+This mechanism requires npm audit report version 2 and a package-path lockfile;
+unsupported reports fail. BATS and Node are required for the audit regression tests.
diff --git a/docs/SESSION-STATE.md b/docs/SESSION-STATE.md
index f9a566f..013f043 100644
--- a/docs/SESSION-STATE.md
+++ b/docs/SESSION-STATE.md
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 # Munitor session state
 
+## Release candidate 0.3.2 (2026-10-10)
+
+Munitor PR19 merged to develop at c8bbf2e. Release branch `release/0.3.2`
+promotes the bounded publishing CI fixes to main. Full make all and the feature
+CircleCI lint/pack/review/snapshot publication passed. Stable publication still
+requires the v0.3.2 tag on main and successful production orb publication.
+
+EX-0008 is registered by standards PR27 (5c21fc7); Website-Frontend may select the
+new stable orb after publication. Default audit policy, Trivy and GitOps contracts
+are preserved. Website-Backend's Java installation now avoids interactive Ubuntu
+service-restart dialogs. Website consumers and production remain pending.
+
 ## Current status
 
 The `develop` branch contains the complete `0.3.0` feature set. PR #6 added
@@ -23,3 +35,17 @@ ArgoCD.
 Run `make all` before release. The stable tag must publish successfully through
 CircleCI before consumer repositories move from immutable development pins to
 `0.3`.
+
+## Publishing release CI fixes (2026-10-10)
+
+Feature branch `feature/scoped-audit-exceptions` prepares development-only npm
+exceptions with expiry, exact advisory/package/version checks, an independent
+production audit and reassessment on a new upstream release. Website-Frontend's
+proposed EX-0008 covers braces 3.0.3 through 2026-11-10. Regression tests exercise
+acceptance and rejection paths. The default audit and Trivy remain unchanged.
+
+Website-Backend CI job 1135 timed out in Ubuntu's interactive needrestart prompt
+after Java installation. APT now receives noninteractive debconf and automatic
+needrestart settings; a stubbed integration test verifies both APT invocations.
+These fixes require normal feature-to-develop review and stable tag publication
+from main before website consumers can select the new version. Nothing deployed.
diff --git a/docs/TODO.md b/docs/TODO.md
index 540dba6..0c08e3b 100644
--- a/docs/TODO.md
+++ b/docs/TODO.md
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 ## Pending
 
+- [x] Review publishing CI fixes and merge PR19 to develop.
+- [ ] Publish v0.3.2 from main; update website consumer orb pins.
+
 - [ ] Follow makers4 and terraform-proxmox-talos on CircleCI when those repos are next active.
 - [ ] Adopt supplemental images on an appropriate consumer.
 
@@ -13,7 +16,7 @@
 - [x] Validate first-class pnpm support and merge PR #6.
 - [x] Add opt-in repository Dockerfile preservation for node-webapp (GH-7)
 - [x] Implement first-class pnpm support (GH-5, 17 commits, 219 tests)
-- [x] Rename all npm_* orb components to node_* (backward-incompatible, pre-1.0)
+- [x] Rename all `npm_*` orb components to `node_*` (backward-incompatible, pre-1.0)
 - [x] Thread package_manager through full job/command/script chain
 - [x] Add corepack activation for pnpm/yarn in install_node
 - [x] Add pnpm Dockerfile variants for node-api and node-webapp
diff --git a/src/scripts/install_java.sh b/src/scripts/install_java.sh
index e30710f..aa6fe70 100755
--- a/src/scripts/install_java.sh
+++ b/src/scripts/install_java.sh
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/adoptium.asc] \
   $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${VERSION_CODENAME}") main" \
   | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/adoptium.list > /dev/null
 
-sudo apt-get update -qq
-sudo apt-get install -y -qq "temurin-${VERSION}-jdk"
+# CI cannot answer debconf or needrestart's service-restart dialog.
+sudo env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive NEEDRESTART_MODE=a apt-get update -qq
+sudo env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive NEEDRESTART_MODE=a apt-get install -y -qq "temurin-${VERSION}-jdk"
 
 # Set JAVA_HOME for subsequent steps
 JAVA_HOME_DIR="/usr/lib/jvm/temurin-${VERSION}-jdk-$(dpkg --print-architecture)"
diff --git a/src/scripts/node_audit.sh b/src/scripts/node_audit.sh
index 6e43d8c..a0175b9 100644
--- a/src/scripts/node_audit.sh
+++ b/src/scripts/node_audit.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,106 @@ munitor_header "node_audit"
 
 echo "Running npm audit..."
 
+if [[ -f .npm-audit-exceptions.json ]]; then
+  # The optional, repository-reviewed exception file never changes runtime policy.
+  REPORT_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+  trap 'rm -rf "${REPORT_DIR}"' EXIT
+  export REPORT_DIR
+  npm audit --json --audit-level=high > "${REPORT_DIR}/full.json" || AUDIT_STATUS=$?
+  npm audit --json --omit=dev --audit-level=high > "${REPORT_DIR}/production.json" || PRODUCTION_STATUS=$?
+  export AUDIT_STATUS="${AUDIT_STATUS:-0}" PRODUCTION_STATUS="${PRODUCTION_STATUS:-0}"
+  node <<'AUDIT_JS'
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const { execFileSync } = require('node:child_process');
+function fail(message) { throw new Error(message); }
+function readReport(name, status) {
+  const report = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(`${process.env.REPORT_DIR}/${name}.json`, 'utf8'));
+  if (report.error || report.auditReportVersion !== 2 || !report.vulnerabilities || !report.metadata?.vulnerabilities)
+    fail(`${name}: npm audit returned an error or unsupported report`);
+  if (![0, 1].includes(Number(status))) fail(`${name}: npm audit failed (${status})`);
+  const counts = report.metadata.vulnerabilities;
+  if (Object.values(report.vulnerabilities).some(v => !v || !['info', 'low', 'moderate', 'high', 'critical'].includes(v.severity)))
+    fail(`${name}: invalid vulnerability severity`);
+  for (const severity of ['info', 'low', 'moderate', 'high', 'critical']) {
+    if (!Number.isInteger(counts[severity]) || counts[severity] < 0) fail(`${name}: invalid severity counts`);
+    if (Object.values(report.vulnerabilities).filter(v => v.severity === severity).length !== counts[severity])
+      fail(`${name}: inconsistent severity counts`);
+  }
+  return report;
+}
+try {
+  const full = readReport('full', process.env.AUDIT_STATUS);
+  const production = readReport('production', process.env.PRODUCTION_STATUS);
+  if (production.metadata.vulnerabilities.high || production.metadata.vulnerabilities.critical)
+    fail('Production dependencies contain high/critical vulnerabilities; exceptions do not apply');
+  if (full.metadata.vulnerabilities.critical) fail('Critical vulnerabilities cannot be excepted');
+  const config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('.npm-audit-exceptions.json', 'utf8'));
+  if (config.schemaVersion !== 1 || !Array.isArray(config.exceptions) || !config.exceptions.length)
+    fail('Invalid exception configuration');
+  const today = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+  const lock = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('package-lock.json', 'utf8'));
+  if (!lock.packages) fail('Exceptions require a package-lock.json with package paths');
+  const allowed = new Map();
+  for (const entry of config.exceptions) {
+    if (!/^EX-\d{4}$/.test(entry.id) || !/^GHSA-[a-z0-9]{4}-[a-z0-9]{4}-[a-z0-9]{4}$/.test(entry.advisory)
+        || entry.scope !== 'development' || !/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/.test(entry.expires)
+        || !Number.isFinite(Date.parse(entry.expires))
+        || new Date(entry.expires).toISOString().slice(0, 10) !== entry.expires || today >= entry.expires
+        || typeof entry.package !== 'string' || !/^(@[a-z0-9._-]+\/)?[a-z0-9._-]+$/.test(entry.package)
+        || !/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(entry.version) || allowed.has(entry.advisory))
+      fail('Invalid, duplicated or expired development exception');
+    allowed.set(entry.advisory, entry);
+  }
+  function roots(name, seen = new Set()) {
+    if (seen.has(name)) fail(`Cyclic vulnerability chain: ${name}`);
+    const vulnerability = full.vulnerabilities[name];
+    if (!vulnerability || !Array.isArray(vulnerability.via) || !vulnerability.via.length)
+      fail(`Unresolved vulnerability chain: ${name}`);
+    const next = new Set([...seen, name]);
+    return vulnerability.via.flatMap(via => {
+      if (typeof via === 'string') return roots(via, next);
+      if (!via || typeof via.url !== 'string' || typeof via.severity !== 'string')
+        fail(`Invalid advisory: ${name}`);
+      return [{ advisory: via, vulnerability }];
+    });
+  }
+  const used = new Set();
+  for (const [name, vulnerability] of Object.entries(full.vulnerabilities)) {
+    if (vulnerability.severity !== 'high') continue;
+    for (const { advisory, vulnerability: root } of roots(name)) {
+      if (!['high', 'critical'].includes(advisory.severity)) continue;
+      const id = advisory.url.replace('https://github.com/advisories/', '');
+      const exception = allowed.get(id);
+      if (!exception || advisory.url !== `https://github.com/advisories/${id}`
+          || advisory.severity !== 'high' || advisory.name !== exception.package
+          || root.name !== exception.package || !Array.isArray(root.nodes) || !root.nodes.length)
+        fail(`Unexcepted high vulnerability: ${name} (${advisory.url})`);
+      for (const path of root.nodes) {
+        if (!lock.packages[path] || lock.packages[path].dev !== true || lock.packages[path].version !== exception.version)
+          fail(`Exception does not cover package path or version: ${path}`);
+      }
+      used.add(id);
+    }
+    if (!roots(name).some(r => ['high', 'critical'].includes(r.advisory.severity)))
+      fail(`High vulnerability has no resolvable high advisory: ${name}`);
+  }
+  for (const id of used) {
+    const entry = allowed.get(id);
+    // Any newer release requires reassessment, even if npm proposes a parent downgrade.
+    const latest = execFileSync('npm', ['view', entry.package, 'version', '--json'],
+      { encoding: 'utf8', timeout: 30000 });
+    if (JSON.parse(latest) !== entry.version) fail(`New ${entry.package} release available; reassess ${entry.id}`);
+    console.log(`Accepted ${entry.id}: ${id}, development only, expires ${entry.expires}`);
+  }
+  console.log('Full audit checked; production audit has no high/critical findings.');
+} catch (error) {
+  console.error(`npm audit rejected: ${error.message}`);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+AUDIT_JS
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 npm audit --audit-level=high || {
   EXIT_CODE=$?
   echo "npm audit found high/critical vulnerabilities."
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/npm-audit/build-fixture.cjs b/tests/fixtures/npm-audit/build-fixture.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de349d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/npm-audit/build-fixture.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const [directory, scenario = 'allowed'] = process.argv.slice(2);
+const advisory = {
+  name: 'braces', severity: 'high', url: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vfj7-8cjw-p6xm'
+};
+const root = { name: 'braces', severity: 'high', via: [advisory], nodes: ['node_modules/braces'] };
+const full = { auditReportVersion: 2, vulnerabilities: {
+  braces: root, parent: { name: 'parent', severity: 'high', via: ['braces'] }
+}, metadata: { vulnerabilities: { info: 0, low: 0, moderate: 0, high: 2, critical: 0 } } };
+const production = { auditReportVersion: 2, vulnerabilities: {},
+  metadata: { vulnerabilities: { info: 0, low: 0, moderate: 0, high: 0, critical: 0 } } };
+const exception = { id: 'EX-0008', advisory: 'GHSA-vfj7-8cjw-p6xm', package: 'braces',
+  version: '3.0.3', scope: 'development', expires: '2099-01-01' };
+const lock = { lockfileVersion: 3, packages: { 'node_modules/braces': { version: '3.0.3', dev: true } } };
+if (scenario === 'expired') exception.expires = '2020-01-01';
+if (scenario === 'invalid-date') exception.expires = '2099-02-30';
+if (scenario === 'different') advisory.url = 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-aaaa-bbbb-cccc';
+if (scenario === 'mixed') root.via.push({ ...advisory, url: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-aaaa-bbbb-cccc' });
+if (scenario === 'critical') { root.severity = advisory.severity = 'critical'; full.metadata.vulnerabilities.high--; full.metadata.vulnerabilities.critical++; }
+if (scenario === 'production') { production.vulnerabilities.braces = root; production.metadata.vulnerabilities.high = 1; }
+if (scenario === 'runtime-path') lock.packages['node_modules/braces'].dev = false;
+if (scenario === 'different-version') lock.packages['node_modules/braces'].version = '3.0.2';
+if (scenario === 'unknown-chain') full.vulnerabilities.parent.via = ['missing'];
+if (scenario === 'cycle') root.via = ['parent'];
+if (scenario === 'counts') full.metadata.vulnerabilities.high = 0;
+if (scenario === 'registry-error') full.error = { code: 'ENETUNREACH' };
+fs.mkdirSync(directory, { recursive: true });
+for (const [name, data] of Object.entries({ 'full.json': full, 'production.json': production,
+  '.npm-audit-exceptions.json': { schemaVersion: 1, exceptions: [exception] }, 'package-lock.json': lock })) {
+  fs.writeFileSync(`${directory}/${name}`, JSON.stringify(data));
+}
diff --git a/tests/install_java.bats b/tests/install_java.bats
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..433f6ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/install_java.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+
+setup() {
+  export PROJECT_DIR="${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/.."
+  export WORK="${BATS_TEST_TMPDIR}/work"
+  mkdir -p "${WORK}/bin"
+  export BASH_ENV="${WORK}/bash-env" JAVA_VERSION=21
+  export APT_CALLS="${WORK}/apt-calls"
+  cat > "${WORK}/bin/sudo" <<'MOCK'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+if [[ "$1" == env ]]; then
+  [[ "$2" == DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive && "$3" == NEEDRESTART_MODE=a && "$4" == apt-get ]] || exit 2
+  printf '%s\n' "$*" >> "$APT_CALLS"
+elif [[ "$1" == tee ]]; then
+  cat > /dev/null
+fi
+MOCK
+  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\necho key\n' > "${WORK}/bin/curl"
+  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\necho amd64\n' > "${WORK}/bin/dpkg"
+  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\necho java-version-21\n' > "${WORK}/bin/java"
+  chmod +x "${WORK}/bin/"*
+  export PATH="${WORK}/bin:${PATH}"
+}
+
+@test "APT update and Java installation cannot open an interactive restart prompt" {
+  run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/install_java.sh"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [ "$(wc -l < "$APT_CALLS")" -eq 2 ]
+  grep -q 'apt-get update -qq' "$APT_CALLS"
+  grep -q 'apt-get install -y -qq temurin-21-jdk' "$APT_CALLS"
+  grep -q "export JAVA_HOME='/usr/lib/jvm/temurin-21-jdk-amd64'" "$BASH_ENV"
+}
diff --git a/tests/node_audit.bats b/tests/node_audit.bats
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e573673
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/node_audit.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+
+setup() {
+  export PROJECT_DIR="${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/.."
+  export WORK="${BATS_TEST_TMPDIR}/work"
+  node "${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/fixtures/npm-audit/build-fixture.cjs" "${WORK}"
+  mkdir -p "${WORK}/bin"
+  cat > "${WORK}/bin/npm" <<'MOCK'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+if [[ "$1" == view ]]; then printf '"%s"\n' "${LATEST_VERSION:-3.0.3}"; exit 0; fi
+if [[ "$*" == *--omit=dev* ]]; then cat production.json; exit 0; fi
+cat full.json
+exit "${MOCK_AUDIT_STATUS:-1}"
+MOCK
+  chmod +x "${WORK}/bin/npm"
+  export PATH="${WORK}/bin:${PATH}"
+  cd "${WORK}"
+}
+
+@test "accepts only the registered advisory and its propagated development findings" {
+  run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/node_audit.sh"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"Accepted EX-0008"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "fails closed for expired, invalid, unrelated, mixed, critical and runtime findings" {
+  for scenario in expired invalid-date different mixed critical production runtime-path different-version unknown-chain cycle counts registry-error; do
+    node "${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/fixtures/npm-audit/build-fixture.cjs" "$WORK" "$scenario"
+    run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/node_audit.sh"
+    if [ "$status" -eq 0 ]; then echo "Unexpected acceptance: $scenario"; return 1; fi
+  done
+}
+
+@test "a new upstream release requires reassessment" {
+  export LATEST_VERSION=3.0.4
+  run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/node_audit.sh"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"New braces release available"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "malformed reports and unexpected audit exit codes fail closed" {
+  export MOCK_AUDIT_STATUS=2
+  run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/node_audit.sh"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  printf 'invalid json' > full.json
+  run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/node_audit.sh"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "repositories without exceptions retain their existing audit gate" {
+  rm .npm-audit-exceptions.json
+  run bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/src/scripts/node_audit.sh"
+  [ "$status" -eq 1 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"npm audit found high/critical"* ]]
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_install_java.sh b/tests/test_install_java.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78a40a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_install_java.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+bats "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/install_java.bats"
diff --git a/tests/test_node_audit.sh b/tests/test_node_audit.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1756db1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_node_audit.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+bats "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/node_audit.bats"