A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Node.js 20 that allowed loading arbitrary OpenSSL engines when the experimental permission model is enabled, which can bypass and/or disable the permission model. The attack complexity is high. However, the crypto.setEngine() API can be used to bypass the permission model when called with a compatible OpenSSL engine. The OpenSSL engine can, for example, disable the permission model in the host process by manipulating the process's stack memory to locate the permission model Permission::enabled_ in the host process's heap memory. Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the permission model is an experimental feature of Node.js.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from nodejs organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2023, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2023-07-01T00:15:10.247
2025-05-08T17:16:01.200
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 7.5 (HIGH)
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For nodejs's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.