# CVE-2026-44004: patriksimek vm2 denial of service via host memory exhaustion in Buffer.alloc

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44004-patriksimek-vm2-denial-of-service-via-host-memory-exhaustion-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-13. Updated: 2026-06-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44004 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-05-13

vm2 is a popular tool used to safely run untrusted code in Node.js environments. A flaw allows an attacker to bypass security limits and force the host system to allocate massive amounts of memory instantly. This can lead to a complete service crash (Denial of Service), especially in cloud environments like Docker or Kubernetes where memory is strictly limited.

Technologies: [vm2 (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/vm2), [Red Hat Self-service automation portal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/self-service-automation-portal). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm), [Red Hat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/red-hat).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44004 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44004 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44004?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 13 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** vm2 (npm) <= 3.10.5, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=3.11.0; Red Hat Self-service automation portal 2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44004?** Yes. vm2 (npm): upgrade to 3.11.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-44004 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44004?** Check whether you run vm2 (npm) or Red Hat Self-service automation portal at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- vm2 (npm): upgrade to 3.11.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install vm2@3.11.0
  ```


## Technical details

A vulnerability in vm2's bridge proxy allows sandboxed code to call the native 'Buffer.alloc()' function with arbitrary size parameters. Because this is a synchronous C++ native call, it bypasses vm2's JavaScript-level timeout mechanism, which cannot interrupt the execution until the allocation completes. An attacker can trigger a massive allocation with a single request, leading to host heap exhaustion and a 'FATAL ERROR: Reached heap limit' crash. This is particularly effective in memory-constrained environments like Docker, Lambda, or Kubernetes. The issue is fixed in version 3.11.0 by validating allocation sizes.

## Affected products

- patriksimek vm2 < 3.11.0
- Red Hat Self-service automation portal 2 2

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-44004
- GHSA-6785-pvv7-mvg7

## Timeline

- 2026-05-01: advisory: GitHub advisory GHSA-6785-pvv7-mvg7 published
- 2026-05-13: disclosed: CVE-2026-44004 published
- 2026-05-13: patched: Fixed in version 3.11.0

## References

- [https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-6785-pvv7-mvg7](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-6785-pvv7-mvg7)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-44004](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-44004)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2477195](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2477195)
- [https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-44004.json](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-44004.json)

## Related threats

- [vm2 NodeVM path bypass in custom resolution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/duplicate-advisory-vm2-nodevm-custom-resolution-bypasses-external-path-5d3a7272)
- [vm2 NodeVM zlib buffer pool information disclosure](https://junglewise.ai/threats/duplicate-advisory-vm2-nodevm-zlib-buffers-expose-pooled-host-memory-6007c734)
- [vm2 host Promise rejection denial of service in construct trap](https://junglewise.ai/threats/duplicate-advisory-vm2-host-promise-rejection-from-an-exposed-f7aba6ba)
- [vm2 sandbox escape via Buffer backing-store ownership bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-100723-vm2-before-3-12-2-does-not-apply-its-buffer-backing-store)
- [vm2 unhandled Promise rejection in construct trap](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-100722-vm2-before-3-12-2-does-not-apply-host-side-promise-rejection)