CVE-2026-44003: CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure in patriksimek vm2
CVE-2026-44003 is a medium severity vulnerability in the open source Node.js sandbox vm2 prior to version 3.11.0. The issue arises from a performance optimization in vm2's code transformer that skips abstract syntax tree (AST) analysis when the code lacks catch, import, or async keywords. This bypass allows sandboxed code to access an internal variable exposing security functions, potentially undermining the sandbox's protection mechanisms. The vulnerability is fixed in vm2 version 3.11.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vm2 sandbox for Node.js versions before 3.11.0 contains a protection mechanism failure (CWE-693) due to a performance optimization that skips AST analysis if the code does not contain certain keywords (catch, import, async). This fast-path bypass enables sandboxed code to access the internal variable VM2_INTERNAL_STATE_DO_NOT_USE_OR_PROGRAM_WILL_FAIL, which exposes internal security functions such as handleException, wrapWith, and import. This exposure compromises the sandbox's security boundary. The vulnerability is addressed by an update to version 3.11.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker running code within the vulnerable vm2 sandbox can exploit this flaw to access internal security functions that should be protected, potentially weakening the sandbox isolation. The CVSS score of 5.3 reflects a medium impact with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required. There is no indication of known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade vm2 to version 3.11.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Since this is an open source product and not a cloud service, remediation depends on applying the official patch by updating the software. Patch status is confirmed fixed in version 3.11.0.
CVE-2026-44003: CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure in patriksimek vm2
Description
CVE-2026-44003 is a medium severity vulnerability in the open source Node.js sandbox vm2 prior to version 3.11.0. The issue arises from a performance optimization in vm2's code transformer that skips abstract syntax tree (AST) analysis when the code lacks catch, import, or async keywords. This bypass allows sandboxed code to access an internal variable exposing security functions, potentially undermining the sandbox's protection mechanisms. The vulnerability is fixed in vm2 version 3.11.0.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.3medium
Affected software
Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vm2 sandbox for Node.js versions before 3.11.0 contains a protection mechanism failure (CWE-693) due to a performance optimization that skips AST analysis if the code does not contain certain keywords (catch, import, async). This fast-path bypass enables sandboxed code to access the internal variable VM2_INTERNAL_STATE_DO_NOT_USE_OR_PROGRAM_WILL_FAIL, which exposes internal security functions such as handleException, wrapWith, and import. This exposure compromises the sandbox's security boundary. The vulnerability is addressed by an update to version 3.11.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker running code within the vulnerable vm2 sandbox can exploit this flaw to access internal security functions that should be protected, potentially weakening the sandbox isolation. The CVSS score of 5.3 reflects a medium impact with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required. There is no indication of known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade vm2 to version 3.11.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Since this is an open source product and not a cloud service, remediation depends on applying the official patch by updating the software. Patch status is confirmed fixed in version 3.11.0.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-04T21:24:36.505Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a04ba22cbff5d8610f482bf
Added to database: 05/13/2026, 17:51:30 UTC
Last enriched: 05/20/2026, 19:10:06 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:59 UTC
Views: 65
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.