How severe is CVE-2026-43998?

CVE-2026-43998 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-43998 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (50th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-43998?

CVE-2026-43998 affects Vm2 Project Vm2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-43998?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2026-43998 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-43998 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-30068.

When was CVE-2026-43998 published?

CVE-2026-43998 was published on 2026-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

CVE-2026-43998

CVE-2026-43998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vm2 Project Vm2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (50th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-30068
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Vm2 Project Vm2
Published: 2026-05-13
Last modified: 2026-06-30

Description

vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In 3.10.5, NodeVM's require.root path restriction can be bypassed using filesystem symlinks, allowing sandboxed code to load modules from outside the allowed root directory in host context. Because path validation uses path.resolve() (which does not dereference symlinks) but module loading uses Node's native require() (which does), an attacker can load arbitrary host-realm modules and achieve remote code execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.11.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-43998?: vm2 is an open source vm/sandbox for Node.js. In 3.10.5, NodeVM's require.root path restriction can be bypassed using filesystem symlinks, allowing sandboxed code to load modules from outside the allowed root directory in host context. Because path validation uses path.resolve() (which does not dereference symlinks) but module loading uses Node's native require() (which does), an attacker can load arbitrary host-realm modules and achieve remote code execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.11.0.
How severe is CVE-2026-43998?: CVE-2026-43998 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-43998 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (50th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-43998?: CVE-2026-43998 affects Vm2 Project Vm2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-43998?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-43998 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-43998 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-30068.
When was CVE-2026-43998 published?: CVE-2026-43998 was published on 2026-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:vm2_project:vm2:3.10.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

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