Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-G644-9GFX-Q4Q4

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-07-13 17:01 – Updated: 2025-11-04 16:44

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.

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

While this advisory might look similar to 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

Thanks to Xion (SeungHyun Lee) of KAIST Hacking Lab for disclosing this vulnerability.

Severity

9.8 (Critical)


                  
                    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "npm",
        "name": "vm2"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "last_affected": "3.9.19"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2023-37903"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-78"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2023-07-13T17:01:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at": "2023-07-21T20:15:16Z",
    "severity": "CRITICAL"
  },
  "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.",
  "id": "GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4",
  "modified": "2025-11-04T16:44:48Z",
  "published": "2023-07-13T17:01:58Z",
  "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"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "vm2 Sandbox Escape vulnerability"
}

CVE-2023-37903 (GCVE-0-2023-37903)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2023-07-21 19:42 – Updated: 2025-11-03 21:48

Title

Sandbox Escape in vm2

Summary

vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In vm2 for versions up to and including 3.9.19, Node.js custom inspect function allows attackers to escape the sandbox and run arbitrary code. This may result in Remote Code Execution, assuming the attacker has arbitrary code execution primitive inside the context of vm2 sandbox. There are no patches and no known workarounds. Users are advised to find an alternative software.

Severity

9.8 (Critical)


                        
                          CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE

CWE-78 - Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

Assigner

GitHub_M mitre root Scorecard

References

3 references

URL	Tags
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advis…	x_refsource_CONFIRM
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-2023083…
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-2024110…

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
patriksimek	vm2	Affected: <= 3.9.19

Show details on NVD website

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2025-11-03T21:48:55.029Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "name": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4",
            "tags": [
              "x_refsource_CONFIRM",
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4"
          },
          {
            "tags": [
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230831-0007/"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20241108-0002/"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "vm2",
          "vendor": "patriksimek",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c= 3.9.19"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In vm2 for versions up to and including 3.9.19, Node.js custom inspect function allows attackers to escape the sandbox and run arbitrary code. This may result in Remote Code Execution, assuming the attacker has arbitrary code execution primitive inside the context of vm2 sandbox. There are no patches and no known workarounds. Users are advised to find an alternative software."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 9.8,
            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-78",
              "description": "CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (\u0027OS Command Injection\u0027)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2023-08-31T18:06:31.120Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230831-0007/"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Sandbox Escape in vm2"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-37903",
    "datePublished": "2023-07-21T19:42:09.346Z",
    "dateReserved": "2023-07-10T17:51:29.610Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-11-03T21:48:55.029Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.

Action not permitted

GHSA-G644-9GFX-Q4Q4

Impact

Patches

Workarounds

References

Similarity with CVE-2023-37466

For more information

CVE-2023-37903 (GCVE-0-2023-37903)

Tags

Sightings

Nomenclature

Related by attack behaviour