Description
vm2 through 3.11.6 does not normalize `node:`-prefixed builtin specifiers when evaluating user-supplied negative (deny) entries in a NodeVM wildcard require policy. Although NodeVM strips the `node:` prefix during require() resolution, negative wildcard entries are matched by exact string comparison against the canonical builtin names, so a policy such as `new NodeVM({ require: { builtin: ['*', '-node:child_process'] } })` fails to deny the canonical `child_process` module. Sandboxed code can therefore obtain the host `child_process` builtin via `require('child_process')` or `require('node:child_process')`, gaining references to process-spawning APIs such as execSync and spawn, which is equivalent to host command-execution capability for untrusted sandbox code. Fixed in vm2 3.11.7.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| patriksimek | vm2 | < 3.11.7 | 3.11.7 |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| npm | vm2 | < 3.11.7 | 3.11.7 | GHSA-8686-vhfx-7r3j |
Advisories 1
- WID-SEC-2026-2997 vm2: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 27, 2026
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-8686-vhfx-7r3j) vendor-advisory
- VulnCheck Advisory: vm2 before 3.11.7 Authentication Bypass via node: Prefix third-party-advisory