7.5

CVE-2023-23918: nodejs node Incorrect Authorization

Modified
AliasesALPINE-CVE-2023-23918UBUNTU-CVE-2023-23918DEBIAN-CVE-2023-23918
Published 23-02-2023Last modified 08-05-2025

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-23918 is a high (CVSS 7.5) Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in nodejs node. EPSS estimates a 2.02% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 80.9% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Prioritisesevere

Severe, CVSS 7.5 (CVE.org); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources; EPSS 2% (FIRST, 03-11-2026)

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
7.5/10
010
High · v3.1 (CVE.org)
EPSS score
2.02%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 20 · Related 10
DSA-5589-1MGASA-2023-0078OPENSUSE-SU-2024:12725-1OPENSUSE-SU-2024:12726-1RHSA-2023:1533RHSA-2023:1582

Timeline

  1. 23-02-2023
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 08-05-2025
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

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.

CVSS metrics

5 scores · 5 sources · 1 version

EPSS trend

Probability

2.02%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

81%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 2.02% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Nodejs2 products
  • node≥ 4.0, < 4.* | ≥ 5.0, < 5.* | ≥ 6.0, < 6.* | ≥ 7.0, < 7.* | ≥ 8.0, < 8.* | ≥ 9.0, < 9.* | ≥ 10.0, < 10.* | ≥ 11.0, < 11.* | ≥ 12.0, < 12.* | ≥ 13.0, < 13.* | ≥ 14.0, < 14.21.3 | ≥ 15.0, < 15.* | ≥ 16.0, < 16.19.1 | ≥ 17.0, < 17.* | ≥ 18.0, < 18.14.1 | ≥ 19.0, < 19.6.1
  • node.js≥ 14.0.0, ≤ 14.14.0 | ≥ 14.0.0, < 14.21.3 | ≥ 16.0.0, ≤ 16.12.0 | ≥ 16.0.0, < 16.19.1 | ≥ 18.0.0, ≤ 18.11.0 | ≥ 18.0.0, < 18.14.1 | ≥ 19.0.0, < 19.6.1
Alpine1 product
  • nodejs< 14.21.3-r0 | < 16.19.1-r0 | < 18.14.1-r0
Debian1 product
  • nodejs< 18.19.0+dfsg-6~deb12u1 | < 18.19.0+dfsg-2
Ubuntu1 product
  • nodejs< 18.19.1+dfsg-2ubuntu4

4 vendors · 5 products

References

10 links