CVE-2023-37903
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 · uneditedvm2 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.
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 confidencevm2 versions up to 3.9.19 contain a sandbox escape vulnerability where Node.js custom inspect function allows attackers to escape the sandbox isolation and execute arbitrary code on the host system, achieving full remote code execution.
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<= 3.9.19CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if vm2 is installed in the projectSearch for vm2 in package.json dependencies or run 'npm list vm2' to see if it appears in the dependency treeAffected if vm2 is listed as a dependency in package.json or appears in npm list output
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Determine the installed vm2 versionRun 'npm list vm2' or check the version field in node_modules/vm2/package.jsonAffected if The installed version is 3.9.19 or any earlier version (versions up to and including 3.9.19 are affected)
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Verify vm2 is actively used in the codebaseSearch source code for 'require("vm2")' or 'import ... from "vm2"' statements, or look for usage of VM, VM2, or sandbox-related classes from the vm2 libraryAffected if Code dynamically imports or requires vm2 and creates VM instances for untrusted code execution
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Confirm sandbox execution is enabledReview code where vm2 is used and verify that untrusted or external input is being passed to vm2's VM.run() or similar sandbox execution methodsAffected if The application runs untrusted code through vm2's sandbox API (e.g., new VM().run(userInput))
You are affected if vm2 is installed as a dependency with version 3.9.19 or lower and your application uses vm2 to execute untrusted code in its sandbox.
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 · scopedNo patch or workaround exists; organizations must migrate away from vm2 to an alternative sandboxing solution and conduct a full security review of any systems where vm2 was used.
- Identify all usage of vm2 in your application dependencies
- Search for alternative sandboxing solutions such as Node.js built-in vm module with proper configuration, isolated-vm, or Docker-based sandboxing
- Plan and execute migration away from vm2 to the chosen alternative
- Audit your application to ensure the new sandboxing solution meets your security requirements
- Remove vm2 package from your dependencies
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation12.0 h
- Implementation40.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $21,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-37903 — 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-2023-37903 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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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.
- 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