Policy bypass via process.mainModule.require
Published Feb 23, 2023 · Updated May 8, 2025
Authorization bypass in Node.js before 14.21.3, 16.19.1, 18.14.1, and 19.6.1 allows attackers to load unauthorized modules. The process.mainModule.require() path omits the policy-aware require wrapper and resolves modules that the policy manifest does not authorize. Exposure requires an application launched with --experimental-policy; injected code can then reach excluded modules and exercise their exported capabilities.
Summary
What happened
Authorization bypass in Node.js before 14.21.3, 16.19.1, 18.14.1, and 19.6.1 allows attackers to load unauthorized modules. The process.mainModule.require() path omits the policy-aware require wrapper and resolves modules that the policy manifest does not authorize. Exposure requires an application launched with --experimental-policy; injected code can then reach excluded modules and exercise their exported capabilities.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-23918
- Published
- Feb 23, 2023
- Updated
- May 8, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-863, CAPEC-233, T1068
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 23, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 8, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0 <10.*
- Affected versionversion=11.0 <11.*
- Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.*
- Affected versionversion=13.0 <13.*
- Affected versionversion=14.0 <14.21.3
- Affected versionversion=15.0 <15.*
- Affected versionversion=16.0 <16.19.1
- Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.*
- Affected versionversion=18.0 <18.14.1
- Affected versionversion=19.0 <19.6.1
- Affected versionversion=4.0 <4.*
- Affected versionversion=5.0 <5.*
- Affected versionversion=6.0 <6.*
- Affected versionversion=7.0 <7.*
- Affected versionversion=8.0 <8.*
- Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.*
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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