---
title: "CVE-2026-47137: vm2 has a CVE-2023-37903 patch bypass: nesting:true without explicit require still allows full RCE"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-47137/
description: "CVE-2026-47137 (vm2 (npm)): vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. Prior to version 3.11.4, the fix for GHSA-8hg8-63c5-gwmx (CVE-2023-37903)…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-06-12
date_modified: 2026-06-13
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-47137"
kev: false
cvss: 10
epss: 0.00705
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-47137: vm2 has a CVE-2023-37903 patch bypass: nesting:true without explicit require still allows full RCE

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.7% , percentile 53: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 53% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes vm2 (npm) <= 3.11.3, fixed in 3.11.4 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. Prior to version 3.11.4, the fix for GHSA-8hg8-63c5-gwmx (CVE-2023-37903) introduced a check in nodevm.js line 263 that blocks the combination nesting: true + require: false. However, the check uses strict equality (options.require === false), which is trivially bypassed by omitting the require option entirely. When require is not specified, options.require is undefined, not false. The strict equality check fails, so the security guard is skipped. Immediately after (line 280), the destructuring default require: requireOpts = false assigns requireOpts = false, producing the exact configuration the patch was designed to prevent. This issue has been patched in version 3.11.4.

## Affected packages

- npm `vm2` <= 3.11.3 → fixed: 3.11.4

## Affected products (CVE record)

- patriksimek vm2: < 3.11.4

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 10 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 10.0 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.70% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 53.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-m4wx-m65x-ghrr](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m4wx-m65x-ghrr)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-47137](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-47137)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-47137](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-47137)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-m4wx-m65x-ghrr)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/01a7552add345d5a6862623884e6b79a85bf0568)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/86ab819f202c3a8dad88cef5705f2e416c5188d7)
- [github.com](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g644-9gfx-q4q4)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/v3.11.4)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-47137/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt