GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm: Duplicate Advisory NodeVM Builtin Allowlist Bypass Vulnerability
CRITICALGHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.9) nodevm builtin allowlist bypass vulnerability (CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure) affecting Duplicate Advisory libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves nodevm builtin allowlist bypass via node:test.run() execargv allows sandbox escape. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.
GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 9.9
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Duplicate Advisory dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
npm install vm2@Latest secure releaseRun the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls vm2How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls vm2Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Duplicate Advisory in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), 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-693: Protection Mechanism Failure, where the product does not use or incorrectly uses a protection mechanism that provides sufficient defense against directed attacks against the product. In Duplicate Advisory, 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
GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm Affected Duplicate Advisory Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
vm2
|
npm |
≥ 3.9.6
≤ 3.11.6
|
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm?
Which Duplicate Advisory versions are affected?
What version fixes GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm?
Is vm2 affected?
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm?
What CWE is associated with GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm?
How can I check npm dependencies for GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-wqg3-r97q-73xm",
"modified" : "2026-10-01T15:41:04Z",
"published" : "2026-09-17T15:32:15Z",
"withdrawn" : "2026-10-01T15:41:04Z",
"aliases" : [ ],
"summary" : "Duplicate Advisory: NodeVM builtin allowlist bypass via node:test.run() execArgv allows sandbox escape",
"details" : "## Duplicate Advisory\n\nThis advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-qhwx-74w5-xhxq. This link is maintained to preserve external references.\n\n## Original Description\nvm2 versions >= 3.9.6 and <= 3.11.6 are affected by a NodeVM builtin allowlist bypass that permits a sandbox escape on Node.js 24 and newer when the embedder explicitly allows the node:test builtin (e.g. require: { builtin: ['node:test'] }). On Node.js 24+, module.builtinModules exposes the scheme-only key node:test, which is not covered by vm2's family-based DANGEROUS_BUILTINS protection, so it is stored in the generic host-passthrough loader. Because requireImpl() in lib/setup-node-sandbox.js strips a single 'node:' prefix before the builtin lookup, sandbox code calling require('node:node:test') resolves to the stored node:test key and receives a readonly proxy to the host module. Calls to node:test.run() are forwarded to the host implementation, which spawns a separate Node process for process-isolated test execution and passes through attacker-controlled execArgv values; supplying --eval=<JavaScript> therefore executes arbitrary JavaScript in an unrestricted host Node process outside the NodeVM sandbox. Fixed in vm2 3.11.7.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
}, {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "vm2"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "3.9.6"
}, {
"last_affected" : "3.11.6"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-qhwx-74w5-xhxq"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-92948"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/vm2-3.9.6-through-3.11.5-sandbox-escape-via-node-test"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-693" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-10-01T15:41:04Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-17T14:18:00Z"
}
}