CVE-2026-43997
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. Prior to 3.11.0, it is possible to obtain the host Object. There are various ways to use the host Object, to escape the sandbox, one example would be using HostObject.getOwnPropertySymbols to obtain Symbol(nodejs.util.inspect.custom). This vulnerability is fixed in 3.11.0.
In the news
Third-party coverageSurfaced from public web coverage — external links open in a new tab.
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 prior to 3.11.0 contain a sandbox escape vulnerability allowing attackers to obtain the host Object. By exploiting HostObject.getOwnPropertySymbols to access Symbol(nodejs.util.inspect.custom), an attacker can escape the sandbox and potentially execute arbitrary code on the host system.
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< 3.11.0CVSS 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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Locate vm2 in your project dependenciesSearch your project for vm2 by checking package.json, package-lock.json, yarn.lock, or the node_modules/vm2 directory. Run: grep -r 'vm2' package.json package-lock.json 2>/dev/null || find . -path ./node_modules/vm2 -type d 2>/dev/nullAffected if vm2 is present in your node_modules or declared as a dependency in your lock file
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Determine the installed vm2 versionRun 'npm list vm2' or 'cat package-lock.json | grep -A5 "vm2"' to see the installed version number, or inspect node_modules/vm2/package.json for the version fieldAffected if The version shown is lower than 3.11.0 (for example: 3.10.0, 3.9.0, etc.)
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Identify if your code uses vm2 sandbox executionSearch your codebase for VM, NodeVM, or VM2 imports such as: const { VM } = require('vm2'), new VM(), or vm2 function calls that execute untrusted codeAffected if Your application uses vm2 to run sandboxed code, especially untrusted or external input
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Verify the vulnerability conditionThe vulnerability allows escape via HostObject.getOwnPropertySymbols accessing Symbol(nodejs.util.inspect.custom). Confirm your version is < 3.11.0 AND your code runs sandboxed code with vm2Affected if Your vm2 version is below 3.11.0 AND you use vm2 to execute code in a sandbox
You are affected if vm2 version is lower than 3.11.0 and your environment uses vm2 to run sandboxed code.
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 · scoped3.11.0
Upgrade vm2 to version 3.11.0 or later to remediate this sandbox escape vulnerability.
3.11.0
- Upgrade the vm2 package to version 3.11.0 or later using your package manager (e.g., npm install [email protected] or npm install vm2@latest)
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version with npm list vm2
- If using a package-lock.json, run npm install to update the locked version
- Test your application to ensure the sandbox functionality continues to work correctly after the upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,464.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-43997 — 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-2026-43997 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