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Sandbox breakout via inspect function in vm2
CVE-2026-24781 is a critical sandbox escape vulnerability in vm2, the Node.js VM/sandbox library. The flaw affects vm2 versions prior to 3.11.0 and is triggered through the inspect function. The vulnerability arises from inspect-related behavior that can unwrap proxies and expose raw host-side objects or vm2 internal proxy-handling state, undermining vm2’s proxy-based isolation boundary. Reported exploit paths indicate that an attacker able to execute JavaScript inside a vm2 instance can leverage this exposure to bypass the sandbox bridge, recover access to host-realm functionality, and ultimately execute arbitrary commands on the underlying host system. The issue was fixed in vm2 3.11.0.
What it means and what to do now: patch path, interim mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
Successful exploitation results in a full sandbox escape from vm2 and arbitrary command execution in the host Node.js environment or underlying operating system context. This can lead to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability for the host process and potentially the broader system, including access to sensitive data, execution of attacker-controlled code, and abuse of host capabilities that the sandbox was intended to restrict.
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Do not rely on vm2 as the sole security boundary for attacker-controlled JavaScript. Until patched versions are deployed, reduce or eliminate execution of untrusted code in vm2, isolate such workloads with stronger external containment such as separate processes, containers, or microVMs, and restrict host privileges available to the Node.js process. Where possible, disable or redesign features that expose attacker-supplied JavaScript to vm2 execution paths.
Patch, then assume compromise.
Upgrade vm2 to version 3.11.0 or later. Because vm2 had multiple critical sandbox-escape issues disclosed in the same period, upgrading to the latest available fixed release in the 3.11.x line is preferable where operationally feasible. Validate that all deployments embedding vm2, including indirect dependencies and code-execution services, are updated consistently.
No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
18 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.