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TI-2021-04511 Aliases CVE-2021-21413GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7

Misuse of `Reference` and other transferable APIs may lead to access to nodejs isolate

Priority MEDIUM 42CWE-913Published · Updated

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

EPSS 0.00719 54th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed isolated-vm (laverdet): 4.0.0isolated-vm (npm): 4.0.0

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
laverdetisolated-vmbefore 4.0.04.0.0Patch availableCNA
—isolated-vm (npm)before 4.0.04.0.0Patch availableGHSA-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

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:isolated-vm_project:isolated-vm:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*before 4.0.0VulnerableIsolated-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

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-21413
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mmhj-4w6j-76h7

References

  • TI-2022-18642 isolated-vm has vulnerable CachedDataOptions in API CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8

Sources