Arbitrary code execution via process.binding policy bypass
Published Aug 24, 2023 · Updated Nov 4, 2025
Policy bypass in Node.js 16.x, 18.x, and 20.x allows attackers to execute code outside policy.json restrictions through process.binding(). The deprecated API exposes internal modules, including spawn_sync, without enforcing the dependency limits declared by the active policy. Exploitation requires attacker-controlled JavaScript already running under the experimental policy and grants child-process execution with the Node.js process's privileges.
Summary
What happened
Policy bypass in Node.js 16.x, 18.x, and 20.x allows attackers to execute code outside policy.json restrictions through process.binding(). The deprecated API exposes internal modules, including spawn_sync, without enforcing the dependency limits declared by the active policy. Exploitation requires attacker-controlled JavaScript already running under the experimental policy and grants child-process execution with the Node.js process's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-32559
- Published
- Aug 24, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 4, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1059.007
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 4, 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.*
- Affected versionversion=15.0 <15.*
- Affected versionversion=16.0 <16.20.2
- Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.*
- Affected versionversion=18.0 <18.17.1
- Affected versionversion=19.0 <19.*
- Affected versionversion=20.0 <20.5.1
- 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?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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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