Misuse of `Reference` and other transferable APIs may lead to access to nodejs isolate
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
isolated-vm is a library for nodejs which gives you access to v8's Isolate interface. Versions of isolated-vm before v4.0.0 have API pitfalls which may make it easy for implementers to expose supposed secure isolates to the permissions of the main nodejs isolate. Reference objects allow access to the underlying reference's full prototype chain. In an environment where the implementer has exposed a Reference instance to an attacker they would be able to use it to acquire a Reference to the nodejs context's Function object. Similar application-specific attacks could be possible by modifying the local prototype of other API objects. Access to NativeModule objects could allow an attacker to load and run native code from anywhere on the filesystem. If combined with, for example, a file upload API this would allow for arbitrary code execution. This is addressed in v4.0.0 through a series of related changes.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| laverdet | isolated-vm | before 4.0.0 | 4.0.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | isolated-vm (npm) | before 4.0.0 | 4.0.0 | Patch available | GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7 |
- isolated-vm Vendorlaverdet Affected before 4.0.0 Fixed in 4.0.0 Patch available CNA
- isolated-vm (npm) Vendor— Affected before 4.0.0 Fixed in 4.0.0 Patch available GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:isolated-vm_project:isolated-vm:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | before 4.0.0 | Vulnerable | Isolated-vm Project |
- cpe:2.3:a:isolated-vm_project:isolated-vm:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions before 4.0.0 Vulnerable ·Isolated-vm Project
Remediation
- Fix · CNA isolated-vm (laverdet) Fixed in 4.0.0
- Fix · GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7 isolated-vm (npm) Fixed in 4.0.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-21413
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7
References
Patch 2
More Isolated-vm Project Isolated-vm vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-18642 isolated-vm has vulnerable CachedDataOptions in API CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2021-21413 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-21413 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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