# CVE-2023-29199: vm2 Sandbox escape vulnerability

> Attackers can bypass sandbox protections in vm2 to execute arbitrary code on the host system via unsanitized exception leakage.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 6 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xj72-wvfv-8985, ROOT-APP-NPM-CVE-2023-29199

## What is CVE-2023-29199?

CVE-2023-29199 is a critical code injection vulnerability in patriksimek vm2, published on 14 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

There exists a vulnerability in source code transformer (exception sanitization logic) of vm2 for versions up to 3.9.15, allowing attackers to bypass `handleException()` and leak unsanitized host exceptions which can be used to escape the sandbox and run arbitrary code in host context. A threat actor can bypass the sandbox protections to gain remote code execution rights on the host running the sandbox. This vulnerability was patched in the release of version `3.9.16` of `vm2`.

Weakness: CWE-913 (Improper Control of Dynamically-Managed Code Resources)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-29199?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including vm2. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vm2` | npm | All versions | 3.9.16 |
| `vm2` | npm | All versions | 3.9.16 |

Products: Vm2 Project Vm2.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-29199?

Upgrade vm2 to 3.9.16 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-29199 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-29199 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in patriksimek vm2

- [CVE-2026-43997](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43997/): vm2: Sandbox Escape (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-44005](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44005/): vm2: Sandbox escape (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-44006](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44006/): vm2: Sandbox Escape (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-29017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29017/): vm2 Sandbox Escape vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2022-36067](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36067/): vm2 vulnerable to Sandbox Escape before v3.9.11 (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-29199 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-29199 is a critical code injection vulnerability in patriksimek vm2, published on 14 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-29199 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- vm2 (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 3.9.16
- vm2 (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 3.9.16

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29199/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29199/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-29199
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-29199
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-29199

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29199/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.