Node.jsApplication
CVE-2023-30586
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Node.js 20 that allowed loading arbitrary OpenSSL engines when the experimental permission model is enabled, which can bypass and/or disable the permission model. The attack complexity is high. However, the crypto.setEngine() API can be used to bypass the permission model when called with a compatible OpenSSL engine. The OpenSSL engine can, for example, disable the permission model in the host process by manipulating the process's stack memory to locate the permission model Permission::enabled_ in the host process's heap memory. Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the permission model is an experimental feature of Node.js.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceNode.js 20's experimental permission model can be bypassed via the crypto.setEngine() API when loading arbitrary OpenSSL engines. The OpenSSL engine can manipulate process heap memory to disable the Permission::enabled_ flag, effectively neutralizing the permission model entirely.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Node.jsApplication
>= 20.0.0, < 20.3.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Node.js versionRun 'node --version' to determine the installed Node.js versionAffected if The version is 20.0.0 or higher but lower than 20.3.1
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Verify experimental permission model is enabledCheck if the Node.js process was launched with the --experimental-permission flag, or inspect application startup scripts/PM2 configs/Dockerfiles for this flagAffected if The --experimental-permission flag is present in the Node.js launch command
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Detect crypto.setEngine() usageSearch application source code for calls to crypto.setEngine(), or monitor runtime for this API usage via instrumentation or loggingAffected if The application code or its dependencies invoke crypto.setEngine() to load OpenSSL engines
You are affected if running Node.js 20.0.0-20.3.1 with the experimental permission model enabled AND crypto.setEngine() is used to load arbitrary OpenSSL engines.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped20.3.1
Disable use of crypto.setEngine() or avoid enabling the experimental permission model until a patched Node.js version is available; consider using alternative cryptographic implementations that do not require OpenSSL engine loading.
Node.js 20.3.1 or later
- Identify the current Node.js version by running 'node --version'
- Ensure the current version is within the affected range (>=20.0.0 and <20.3.1)
- Upgrade Node.js to version 20.3.1 or later using your preferred method (e.g., nvm, n, or direct download from nodejs.org)
- After upgrade, verify the new version with 'node --version'
- If using the experimental permission model, test that the application still functions correctly with the new Node.js version
- For production deployments, review the Node.js 20.3.1 release notes for any relevant changes that may affect your application
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Node.js
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-30586 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-30586 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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