SandboxJS: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CVE-2026-25641 is a critical-severity time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in SandboxJS from Nyariv, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.0 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected SandboxJS versions: < 0.8.29. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of SandboxJS you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 10.0 | Critical | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.0 | Critical | NVD |
Official description
SandboxJS is a JavaScript sandboxing library. Prior to 0.8.29, there is a sandbox escape vulnerability due to a mismatch between the key on which the validation is performed and the key used for accessing properties. Even though the key used in property accesses is annotated as string, this is never enforced. So, attackers can pass malicious objects that coerce to different string values when used, e.g., one for the time the key is sanitized using hasOwnProperty(key) and a different one for when the key is used for the actual property access. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.29.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The most basic advice for TOCTOU vulnerabilities is to not perform a check before the use. This does not resolve the underlying issue of the execution of a function on a resource whose state and identity cannot be assured, but it does help to limit the false sense of security given by the check.
- When the file being altered is owned by the current user and group, set the effective gid and uid to that of the current user and group when executing this statement.
- Limit the interleaving of operations on files from multiple processes.
More Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-367)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Patches and release notes
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in SandboxJS
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
Recent Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
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