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Node.jsApplication

CVE-2023-32002

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 20.5.0 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The use of `Module._load()` can bypass the policy mechanism and require modules outside of the policy.json definition for a given module. This vulnerability affects all users using the experimental policy mechanism in all active release lines: 16.x, 18.x and, 20.x. Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the policy 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 confidence

The experimental policy mechanism in Node.js (versions 16.x, 18.x, 20.x) can be bypassed via Module._load(), allowing modules to be loaded that are not defined in the policy.json file. This defeats the intended security boundaries of the policy mechanism.

MitigationDo not rely on the experimental policy mechanism for security-critical restrictions until a patch is applied; consider alternative module containment approaches or wait for the official fix in a stable Node.js release.

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
Affected:>= 16.0.0, <= 16.20.1>= 18.0.0, <= 18.17.0>= 20.0.0, <= 20.5.0

CVSS 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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Node.js version
    Run `node --version` to obtain the installed Node.js version
    Affected if Version is 16.0.0-16.20.1, 18.0.0-18.17.0, or 20.0.0-20.5.0
  2. Verify experimental policy is enabled
    Inspect startup scripts, environment variables, or command-line arguments for `--experimental-policy=<filepath>` or a policy.json file referenced in configuration
    Affected if The Node.js process is launched with the `--experimental-policy` flag pointing to a policy.json file
  3. Confirm policy.json exists and defines module dependencies
    Locate and examine the referenced policy.json file to see if it contains module dependency declarations
    Affected if A policy.json file is present and defines module entries (resolve or integrate sections)
  4. Identify usage of Module._load() in application code
    Search application code for direct calls to `Module._load()` or `require()` that load modules dynamically outside of declared dependencies
    Affected if Code uses Module._load() or equivalent to load modules not defined in the policy.json file

You are affected if your Node.js version falls within 16.0.0-16.20.1, 18.0.0-18.17.0, or 20.0.0-20.5.0 AND you are using the experimental policy mechanism with a policy.json file that does not explicitly account for dynamic module loading via Module._load().

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 20.5.0
Interim mitigation

Do not rely on the experimental policy mechanism for security-critical restrictions until a patch is applied; consider alternative module containment approaches or wait for the official fix in a stable Node.js release.

Recommended fix High confidence

Node.js 16.20.2+ / 18.17.1+ / 20.6.0+ depending on your major version track

  1. 1. Identify the Node.js major version currently in use (16.x, 18.x, or 20.x) by running `node --version`
  2. 2. For Node.js 16.x users: Upgrade to Node.js 16.20.2 or later
  3. 3. For Node.js 18.x users: Upgrade to Node.js 18.17.1 or later
  4. 4. For Node.js 20.x users: Upgrade to Node.js 20.6.0 or later (the first stable release after 20.5.0)
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify the new version is installed by running `node --version`
  6. 6. Test that your application with its policy.json configuration still functions correctly with the updated Node.js version
Caveat Upgrading Node.js minor versions may introduce breaking changes in rare cases; test thoroughly in a staging environment before production deployment

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
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-32002 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data