CVE-2026-93605: vm2 NodeVM sandbox escape via child_process denylist omission

CVE-2026-93605 · Severity: critical · CVSS 10 · Published 2026-09-18

vm2 is a popular Node.js sandbox library used to safely execute untrusted code. A critical flaw in its security denylist allows attackers to access the child_process module and execute arbitrary system commands on the host computer with full privileges, completely bypassing the sandbox. Any application running untrusted user code through NodeVM with default or permissive settings is at immediate risk of complete system compromise.

Technologies: vm2 (npm). Vendors: npm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-93605 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-93605 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-93605?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 10, published 18 September 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
vm2 (npm) <= 3.12.0, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=3.12.1.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-93605?
Yes. vm2 (npm): upgrade to 3.12.1 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-93605 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-93605?
Check whether you run vm2 (npm) 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 3.12.1 or later
    npm install vm2@3.12.1

Technical details

The vulnerability is a protection mechanism bypass in vm2's NodeVM sandbox (CWE-693). The DANGEROUS_BUILTINS denylist in lib/builtin.js is designed to block dangerous core modules (module, worker_threads, cluster, vm, repl, inspector, process, os, dns, v8, etc.) even when the sandbox requests builtin:['*'] or names them explicitly. However, child_process—the most direct host command-execution primitive—is omitted from this list. An attacker running sandboxed code can execute require('child_process').execSync() to run arbitrary shell commands on the host system. The vulnerability affects NodeVM when configured with require:{builtin:['*']}, the documented subtract pattern ['*', '-x', …], or explicit child_process allowance. Patched in version 3.12.1.

Affected products

  • Patriksimek vm2 <3.12.1

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-93605
  • GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r

Timeline

  • 2026-09-03: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-pq68-rvw4-xp4r published
  • 2026-09-18: disclosed: CVE-2026-93605 published on NVD
  • 2026-09-18: patched: Version 3.12.1 released with fix

References

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