CVE-2026-26956
Published: 04 May 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-26956 is a critical-severity Protection Mechanism Failure (CWE-693) vulnerability in Vm2 Project Vm2. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 30.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) and CM-10 (Software Usage Restrictions).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly mitigates the sandbox escape vulnerability by requiring timely patching of vm2 to version 3.10.5 or later.
Enables detection of systems using vulnerable vm2 version 3.10.4 through regular vulnerability scanning tailored to this CVE.
Prevents deployment of vulnerable vm2 by authorizing and restricting software usage to only patched versions.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Sandbox escape in vm2 directly enables remote arbitrary code execution via attacker-supplied JavaScript in VM.run(), mapping to exploitation of public-facing apps (T1190) and JavaScript command interpreter (T1059.007).
NVD Description
vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In version 3.10.4, vm2 is vulnerable to full sandbox escape with arbitrary code execution. Attacker code inside VM.run() obtains host process object and runs host commands with zero host cooperation. This issue…
more
has been patched in version 3.10.5.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2026-26956 affects vm2, an open source virtual machine and sandbox for Node.js, specifically in version 3.10.4. The vulnerability enables a full sandbox escape, allowing arbitrary code execution on the host system. An attacker running malicious code within VM.run() can obtain a reference to the host process object and execute host commands without any cooperation from the host environment. The issue is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is associated with CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure).
Any remote attacker with the ability to supply code executed via VM.run() can exploit this vulnerability without privileges, user interaction, or special conditions. Successful exploitation grants full access to the host process, enabling arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the Node.js process running vm2. This bypasses the intended sandbox isolation, potentially leading to complete host compromise, including data theft, persistence, or further lateral movement.
The vulnerability has been patched in vm2 version 3.10.5, as detailed in the project's release notes and security advisory. Security practitioners should immediately upgrade to version 3.10.5 or later and review deployments using vm2 3.10.4 for potential exposure. Relevant resources include the GitHub release at https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/v3.10.5 and the security advisory at https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-ffh4-j6h5-pg66.
Details
- CWE(s)