---
title: "CVE-2026-47686: VM2 has Missing Error.cause Sanitization that Enables Sandbox Escape to RCE"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-47686/
description: "CVE-2026-47686 (vm2 (npm)): vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. Prior to 3.11.6, handleException() in lib/setup-sandbox.js sanitizes…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-08-17
date_modified: 2026-10-07
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-47686"
kev: false
cvss: 9.9
epss: 0.00581
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-47686: VM2 has Missing Error.cause Sanitization that Enables Sandbox Escape to RCE

**Signal:** Critical, preconditions apply. Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.6% , percentile 47: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 47% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes vm2 (npm) <= 3.11.5, fixed in 3.11.6 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
- Editorial verdict: Check exposure. vm2: 22 Critical Sandbox Escapes, Fixed in 3.12.2 — If anything outside your trust boundary can get code into vm2, upgrade to 3.12.2 today and plan to move that code out of process; if vm2 only runs your own code, upgrade on a normal cycle.

## What it is

vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. Prior to 3.11.6, handleException() in lib/setup-sandbox.js sanitizes SuppressedError.error, SuppressedError.suppressed, and AggregateError.errors but does not sanitize Error.cause, allowing sandbox code to obtain a powerful host object such as process from an embedder-exposed host function that throws an error with that object as its cause and then execute arbitrary host commands. This issue is fixed in version 3.11.6.

## Affected packages

- npm `vm2` <= 3.11.5 → fixed: 3.11.6

## Affected products (CVE record)

- patriksimek vm2: < 3.11.6

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.9 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.9 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 none , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.58% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 47.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-m283-3h24-438v](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m283-3h24-438v)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-47686](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-47686)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-47686](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-47686)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-m283-3h24-438v)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/7e3faaf550f4ab975bf4cdde183fcec49b056d8e)
- [github.com](https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/3.11.6)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-47686/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt