CVE-2023-37903 — vm2
CRITICALCVE-2023-37903 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) OS Command Injection vulnerability in vm2. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.
Sandbox Escape in vm2
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
vm2npmDescription
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.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | vm2 | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
vm2vm2_projectResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for vm2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
The records we use list no patched version of vm2 for CVE-2023-37903. Check the maintainer's advisory, and where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range.
Mitigate without a patch
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2023-37903 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-37903 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.