CVE-2026-43998

Description

vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In 3.10.5, NodeVM's require.root path restriction can be bypassed using filesystem symlinks, allowing sandboxed code to load modules from outside the allowed root directory in host context. Because path validation uses path.resolve() (which does not dereference symlinks) but module loading uses Node's native require() (which does), an attacker can load arbitrary host-realm modules and achieve remote code execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.11.0.

Overview

State: PUBLISHED
Assigner (CNA): GitHub_M
CVSS severity: HIGH
CVSS score: 8.5 / 10
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Effective score: 8.5 / 10 HIGH source: CNA overview
CWE(s): CWE-59
Reserved: 2026-05-04
Published: 2026-05-13 19:19 UTC
Last updated: 2026-05-15 05:55 UTC
Source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2026/43xxx/CVE-2026-43998.json
Linked Threat: CVE-2026-43998 — vm2: NodeVM require.root bypass via symlink traversal allows sandbox escape

NVD triage scoring NVD CVE 2.0

Layer NVD adds on top of the CNA's CVE record — published / last-modified timestamps, exploitability / impact subscores, and the FIRST.org EPSS probability that this CVE will be exploited in the wild in the next 30 days.

NVD published: 2026-05-13 18:16:16 UTC
NVD last modified: 2026-05-14 15:36:55 UTC
NVD CVSS v3.1: 8.5 / 10 HIGH source: security-advisories@github.com
NVD CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploitability subscore: 1.8 / 10
Impact subscore: 6.0 / 10
EPSS score: 0.0028 (probability of exploitation in next 30 days)
EPSS percentile: 51.83% vs all CVEs — higher = more likely to be exploited, as of 2026-05-24

European Union Vulnerability Database ENISA EUVD

ENISA's official EU repository for curated vulnerability intelligence. Carries a separate identifier (EUVD-YYYY-NNNN) and frequently exposes an earlier-published description + CVSS than NVD does.

EUVD ID: EUVD-2026-30068
Assigner: GitHub_M
Published: May 13, 2026, 5:19:44 PM
Updated: May 15, 2026, 3:55:52 AM
EUVD base score (CVSS 3.1): 8.5 / 10
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EUVD-reported EPSS: 0.2800
Vendors: patriksimek
Products: vm2 (3.10.5)
Aliases: GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c

ENISA description: vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In 3.10.5, NodeVM's require.root path restriction can be bypassed using filesystem symlinks, allowing sandboxed code to load modules from outside the allowed root directory in host context. Because path validation uses path.resolve() (which does not dereference symlinks) but module loading uses Node's native require() (which does), an attacker can load arbitrary host-realm modules and achieve remote code execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.11.0.

EUVD references (1)

https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c

Affected products (1)

Vendor	Product	Versions	Platforms
patriksimek	vm2	`3.10.5` (affected)	—

Affected products — CPE 2.3 (1) NVD

NVD's normalized CPE 2.3 matchers, used by vendor tools (vulnerability scanners, asset managers) for automated detection. Compare with the CNA's free-text "Affected products" section above.

cpe:2.3:a:vm2_project:vm2:3.10.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

Vendor references (1)

References embedded in the original CVE record by the assigning CNA.

https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c x_refsource_CONFIRM

MITRE references (1) cveawg.mitre.org

Pulled from MITRE's CVE Services API by the 🛰 Backfill from MITRE button.

https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c x_refsource_CONFIRM

Web references (3)

DuckDuckGo results ranked by threat-intel / vendor advisory domains. Generated by the 🔎 Find references (web) button above — same flow as the Remediations search.

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43998 tenable:nvd.nist.gov
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43998 tenable:www.cve.org
https://www.first.org/epss/ tenable:www.first.org

NVD-tagged references (2)

Reference list NVD curates from the CNA record, vendor advisories, and third-party reports. The tag chips below are NVD's analyst-assigned categories.

https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c security-advisories@github.com ExploitMitigationVendor Advisory
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 ExploitMitigationVendor Advisory

Indicators (3)

IOCs linked to the auto-promoted Threat row.

Type	Value	VirusTotal	Attached
domain	`node.js`	no local data	2026-05-18 21:18 UTC
domain	`require.root`	no local data	2026-05-18 21:18 UTC
domain	`path.resolve`	no local data	2026-05-18 21:18 UTC

Remediations (14)

Remediations are stored against the linked Threat row; the list below is deduplicated across both pages.

Grammarly: Free AI Writing Assistance

web:www.grammarly.com

Grammarly makes AI writing convenient. Work smarter with personalized AI guidance and text generation on any app or website.

2026-05-22 17:21 UTC
VirusTotal - Home

web:www.virustotal.com

VirusTotal is a platform for scanning files and URLs for viruses, malware, and other threats using multiple antivirus engines.

2026-05-22 17:21 UTC
Security Update Guide - Microsoft

web:portal.msrc.microsoft.com

The Security Update Guide provides information on the latest Microsoft security updates, helping users understand and address potential vulnerabilities effectively.

2026-05-22 17:21 UTC
April 2026 Patch Tuesday: Updates and Analysis | CrowdStrike

web:www.crowdstrike.com

Microsoft's April 2026 Patch Tuesday addresses 164 CVEs , featuring 8 Critical vulnerabilities, one exploited zero-day, and one disclosed zero-day.

2026-05-22 17:21 UTC
CVE-2026-43998 : Path Traversal Vulnerability in vm2 Sandbox for Node ...

web:securityvulnerability.io

What is CVE-2026-43998 ? The vm2 library, a popular open-source sandboxing solution for Node.js, is susceptible to a path traversal vulnerability in version 3.10.5.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Microsoft May 2026 Patch Tuesday: Many fixes, but no zero-days

web:www.helpnetsecurity.com

Microsoft has marked May 2026 Patch Tuesday by releasing fixes for 120+ CVE -numbered vulnerabilities, none of which are actively exploited.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Microsoft Technical Security Notifications

web:www.microsoft.com

Security Update Guide Notifications Microsoft's free Security Update Guide Notifications provide links to security-related software updates and notification of re-released security updates. These notifications are sent via email throughout the month as needed.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Oracle Critical Patch Update Advisory - April 2026

web:www.oracle.com

This Critical Patch Update contains 481 new security patches across the product families listed below. Please note that an MOS note summarizing the content of this Critical Patch Update and other Oracle Software Security Assurance activities is located at April 2026 Critical Patch Update: Executive Summary and Analysis.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Windows 11 April 2026 Update tested: What's new, improved and fixed

web:www.windowslatest.com

Windows 11 April 2026 update adds Narrator Copilot support, faster Settings, File Explorer fixes, and key security improvements.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Microsoft Patch Tuesday May 2026 - 120 Vulnerabilities Fixed, Including ...

web:cybersecuritynews.com

Microsoft's May 2026 Patch Tuesday lands with a heavy enterprise focus, fixing 120 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, Azure, developer tools, and Microsoft 365 apps, including 29 remote code execution (RCE) flaws rated Critical.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Patch Tuesday May 2026: Security Updates & CVE Analysis

web:zecurit.com

Get the complete breakdown of Microsoft's May 2026 Patch Tuesday. We analyze the latest security updates and all critical CVEs .

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
CVE‑2026‑43997: Remote Code Execution in vm2 Node.js Sandbox - What It ...

web:integsec.com

CVE‑2026‑43997 was disclosed on May 13, 2026 , through the National Vulnerability Database and is tracked against the open‑source vm2 library, a virtual‑machine sandbox used to run untrusted JavaScript inside Node.js applications. The vulnerability allows attackers to obtain the host object and escape the sandbox, enabling remote code execution on the server hosting the Node.js process.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Patch Tuesday, May 2026 Edition - Krebs on Security

web:krebsonsecurity.com

Microsoft expects that exploitation is more likely. May's Patch Tuesday is a welcome respite from April, which saw Microsoft fix a near-record 167 security flaws.

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC
Nvd - Cve-2026-43998

web:nvd.nist.gov

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

2026-05-22 03:50 UTC

AI Forensic Analysis

Only Available for Registered Users. Sign in to view.

Raw JSON

The full cvelistV5 record. Download as CVE-2026-43998.json.

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-43998",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "poc"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-05-14T00:00:00+00:00",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-05-15T03:55:52.827Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "tags": [
              "exploit"
            ],
            "url": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "vm2",
          "vendor": "patriksimek",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "3.10.5"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In 3.10.5, NodeVM's require.root path restriction can be bypassed using filesystem symlinks, allowing sandboxed code to load modules from outside the allowed root directory in host context. Because path validation uses path.resolve() (which does not dereference symlinks) but module loading uses Node's native require() (which does), an attacker can load arbitrary host-realm modules and achieve remote code execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.11.0."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 8.5,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "scope": "CHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-59",
              "description": "CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-05-13T17:19:44.406Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-cp6g-6699-wx9c",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "vm2: NodeVM require.root bypass via symlink traversal allows sandbox escape"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-43998",
    "datePublished": "2026-05-13T17:19:44.406Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-05-04T20:24:31.917Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-05-15T03:55:52.827Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}