CVE-2023-37466: Vm2 Vm2 Sandbox Escape Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cchq-frgv-rjh5
Share
CVSS 9.8
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-37466 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) vm2 sandbox escape vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Vm2 libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves vm2 sandbox escape vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.10.0.

CVE-2023-37466 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-37466
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cchq-frgv-rjh5
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Vm2
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2023-37466

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Vm2 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

vm2 fixed: 3.10.0 
npm install vm2@3.10.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls vm2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2023-37466, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls vm2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Vm2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.10.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls vm2 command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Vm2, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In vm2 for versions up to 3.9.19, `Promise` handler sanitization can be bypassed, allowing attackers to escape the sandbox and run arbitrary code. ### Impact Remote Code Execution, assuming the attacker has arbitrary code execution primitive inside the context of vm2 sandbox. ### Patches None. ### Workarounds None. ### References PoC - https://gist.github.com/leesh3288/f693061e6523c97274ad5298eb2c74e9 ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: - Open an issue in [VM2](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2) Thanks to [Xion](https://twitter.com/0x10n) (SeungHyun Lee) of [KAIST Hacking Lab](https://kaist-hacking.github.io/) for disclosing this vulnerability.

CVE-2023-37466 Affected Vm2 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.10.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
vm2
npm/vm2
npm
< 3.10.0
3.10.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cchq-frgv-rjh5
NVD — CVE-2023-37466 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/d9a1fde8ec5a5a9c9e5a69bf91d703950859d744
Vm2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://gist.github.com/leesh3288/f693061e6523c97274ad5298eb2c74e9
Vm2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2
Vm2 Release RELEASE
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/v3.10.0
Vm2 Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230831-0007
Vm2 Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20241108-0002

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-37466?
CVE-2023-37466 is a security vulnerability in Vm2 involving vm2 Sandbox Escape vulnerability under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Vm2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.10.0 across affected packages: vm2.
What version fixes CVE-2023-37466?
Upgrading to 3.10.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is vm2 affected?
Yes, vm2 is affected in releases prior to 3.10.0. Upgrade your dependency to 3.10.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-37466?
CVE-2023-37466 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-37466?
CVE-2023-37466 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2023-37466?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls vm2'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-cchq-frgv-rjh5",
  "modified" : "2026-01-05T21:25:38Z",
  "published" : "2023-07-13T17:02:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-37466" ],
  "summary" : "vm2 Sandbox Escape vulnerability",
  "details" : "In vm2 for versions up to 3.9.19, `Promise` handler sanitization can be bypassed, allowing attackers to escape the sandbox and run arbitrary code.\n\n### Impact\nRemote Code Execution, assuming the attacker has arbitrary code execution primitive inside the context of vm2 sandbox.\n\n### Patches\nNone.\n\n### Workarounds\nNone.\n\n### References\nPoC - https://gist.github.com/leesh3288/f693061e6523c97274ad5298eb2c74e9\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n\n- Open an issue in [VM2](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2)\n\nThanks to [Xion](https://twitter.com/0x10n) (SeungHyun Lee) of [KAIST Hacking Lab](https://kaist-hacking.github.io/) for disclosing this vulnerability.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "vm2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.10.0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.9.19"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cchq-frgv-rjh5"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/d9a1fde8ec5a5a9c9e5a69bf91d703950859d744"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://gist.github.com/leesh3288/f693061e6523c97274ad5298eb2c74e9"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/v3.10.0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230831-0007"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20241108-0002"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-13T17:02:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-07-14T00:15:09Z"
  }
}