CVE-2023-23918

HIGH
7.5
CVSS Score
Published: February 23, 2023 at 12:00 AM UTC
Updated: October 24, 2026 at 01:10 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorNode.js

Using Node by NodeJS?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Node - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH7.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Node.js <19.6.1, <18.14.1, <16.19.1 and <14.21.3 that made it possible to bypass the experimental Permissions (https://nodejs.org/api/permissions.html) feature in Node.js and access non authorized modules by using process.mainModule.require(). This only affects users who had enabled the experimental permissions option with --experimental-policy.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

14.0.0 ≤ v ≤ 14.14.014.0.0 ≤ v < 14.21.316.0.0 ≤ v ≤ 16.12.016.0.0 ≤ v < 16.19.118.0.0 ≤ v ≤ 18.11.018.0.0 ≤ v < 18.14.119.0.0 ≤ v < 19.6.110.011.012.013.014.015.016.017.018.019.04.05.06.07.08.09.0
Affected range stops below 10.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 11.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 12.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 13.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 14.21.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 15.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 16.19.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 17.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 18.14.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 19.6.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 5.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 6.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 7.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 8.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 9.*, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitAutomatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.5HIGHCISA-ADP
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
NONE
Availability
NONE
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-863

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card