CVE-2023-37903: Vm2 Vm2 Sandbox Escape Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-78
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-37903 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) vm2 sandbox escape vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Vm2 libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves vm2 sandbox escape vulnerability. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2023-37903 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-37903
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command 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-2023-37903

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: Latest secure release 
npm install vm2@Latest secure release
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-2023-37903, 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 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-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. 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, Node.js custom inspect function allows 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 is to be disclosed on or after the 5th of September. ### Similarity with [CVE-2023-37466](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466) While this advisory might look similar to [CVE-2023-37466](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466), it is a completely different way of escaping the sandbox. ### 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-2023-37903 Affected Vm2 Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
vm2
npm/vm2
npm
≤ 3.9.19

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4
NVD — CVE-2023-37903 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37903
Vm2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2
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-2023-37903?
CVE-2023-37903 is a security vulnerability in Vm2 involving vm2 Sandbox Escape vulnerability under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Vm2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: vm2.
What version fixes CVE-2023-37903?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is vm2 affected?
Yes, vm2 is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-37903?
CVE-2023-37903 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-2023-37903?
CVE-2023-37903 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2023-37903?
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-g644-9gfx-q4q4",
  "modified" : "2025-11-04T16:44:48Z",
  "published" : "2023-07-13T17:01:58Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-37903" ],
  "summary" : "vm2 Sandbox Escape vulnerability",
  "details" : "In vm2 for versions up to 3.9.19, Node.js custom inspect function allows 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 is to be disclosed on or after the 5th of September.\n\n### Similarity with [CVE-2023-37466](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466)\nWhile this advisory might look similar to [CVE-2023-37466](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466), it is a completely different way of escaping the sandbox.\n\n### For more information\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"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "3.9.19"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37903"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2"
  }, {
    "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-78" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-13T17:01:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-07-21T20:15:16Z"
  }
}