vm2 contains a sandbox escape vulnerability

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-93605: 0.48% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 41.44 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

vm2 NodeVM versions before 3.12.1 contain a sandbox escape vulnerability where the DANGEROUSBUILTINS denylist omits childprocess despite blocking other host-spawning modules. Attackers can require childprocess and execute arbitrary commands on the host system when NodeVM is configured with builtin:[''] or explicit childprocess allowance. This fork hardens NodeVM with a DANGEROUSBUILTINS denylist that blocks host‑code‑reaching core modules even when the sandbox requests builtin:[''] or names them explicitly — the list contains module, workerthreads, cluster, vm, repl, inspector, process, traceevents, wasi, diagnosticschannel, asynchooks, perfhooks, v8, os, dns, and test. It omits childprocess — the single most direct command‑execution primitive. As a result, a sandbox running under require:{builtin:['']} (or the fork's own documented ['','-http','-net',…] subtract pattern) can require('childprocess').execSync(...) and execute arbitrary commands on the host. The omission is internally…

Published by the source

7 Oct 2026, 18:05 UTC

Last modified by the source

7 Oct 2026, 18:15 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:07 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r

3. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-93605

Advisory: vm2 contains a sandbox escape vulnerability
IDs: CVE-2026-93605, GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-93605 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:07 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 10.0)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: vm2 3.12.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm vm2: affected <= 3.12.0; fixed in 3.12.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls vm2 --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on vm2.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r lists affected ranges: npm vm2 >=0 <=3.12.0)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r (OSV record GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r lists affected ranges: npm vm2 >=0 <3.12.1 (fixed))

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