Policy integrity bypass via interceptable checksum operation
Published Oct 18, 2023 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Integrity-check bypass in the experimental policy mechanism in Node.js allows attackers to load resources that violate a trusted manifest. The application can replace the integrity operation's result with a forged checksum because the policy code uses an interceptable rather than tamper-proof check. Exploitation requires the experimental policy mechanism and application-level interception; successful use disables manifest integrity enforcement.
Summary
What happened
Integrity-check bypass in the experimental policy mechanism in Node.js allows attackers to load resources that violate a trusted manifest. The application can replace the integrity operation's result with a forged checksum because the policy code uses an interceptable rather than tamper-proof check. Exploitation requires the experimental policy mechanism and application-level interception; successful use disables manifest integrity enforcement.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-38552
- Published
- Oct 18, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-345, T1562.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 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.*
- Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.*
- Affected versionversion=18.0 <18.18.2
- Affected versionversion=19.0 <19.*
- Affected versionversion=20.0 <20.8.1
- 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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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