---
id: GHSA-28q4-xrqh-9479
title: >-
  Duplicate Advisory: vm2: NodeVM node:-prefixed negative builtin deny bypass
  exposes child_process
summary: >-
  Duplicate Advisory: vm2: NodeVM node:-prefixed negative builtin deny bypass
  exposes child_process
severity: critical
cvss: 9.9
cwe:
  - CWE-269
vendor: vm2
product: vm2
ecosystem: npm
affected:
  - vm2 <= 3.11.6
published: '2026-09-17'
updated: '2026-10-01'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-01T15:35:49Z'
source: GHSA
sourceUrl: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-28q4-xrqh-9479'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/security/advisories/GHSA-8686-vhfx-7r3j'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-92957'
  - url: >-
      https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/vm2-before-3.11.7-authentication-bypass-via-node-prefix
  - url: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-28q4-xrqh-9479'
tags:
  - ghsa
  - npm
ingestedAt: '2026-10-01T15:48:17.824Z'
---

## Overview

## Duplicate Advisory

This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-8686-vhfx-7r3j. This link is maintained to preserve external references.

## Original Description
vm2 through 3.11.6 does not normalize `node:`-prefixed builtin specifiers when evaluating user-supplied negative (deny) entries in a NodeVM wildcard require policy. Although NodeVM strips the `node:` prefix during require() resolution, negative wildcard entries are matched by exact string comparison against the canonical builtin names, so a policy such as `new NodeVM({ require: { builtin: ['*', '-node:child_process'] } })` fails to deny the canonical `child_process` module. Sandboxed code can therefore obtain the host `child_process` builtin via `require('child_process')` or `require('node:child_process')`, gaining references to process-spawning APIs such as execSync and spawn, which is equivalent to host command-execution capability for untrusted sandbox code. Fixed in vm2 3.11.7. (Suggested title: "vm2 before 3.11.7: NodeVM builtin deny-list bypass via node:-prefixed specifiers exposes child_process")

## Affected packages

- `vm2 <= 3.11.6`

## Remediation

Refer to the advisory for the patched release.