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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2023-45133: Babel vulnerable to arbitrary code execution when compiling specifically crafted malicious code

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 35/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.52% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: node-babel (Debian:10) 6.26.0+dfsg-3+deb10u1; node-babel7 (Debian:11) 7.12.12+~cs150.141.84-6+deb11u1; node-babel7 (Debian:12) 7.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-3+deb12u1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to node-babel (Debian:10) 6.26.0+dfsg-3+deb10u1; node-babel7 (Debian:11) 7.12.12+~cs150.141.84-6+deb11u1; node-babel7 (Debian:12) 7.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-3+deb12u1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

Babel is a compiler for writingJavaScript. In `@babel/traverse` prior to versions 7.23.2 and 8.0.0-alpha.4 and all versions of `babel-traverse`, using Babel to compile code that was specifically crafted by an attacker can lead to arbitrary code execution during compilation, when using plugins that rely on the `path.evaluate()`or `path.evaluateTruthy()` internal Babel methods. Known affected plugins are `@babel/plugin-transform-runtime`; `@babel/preset-env` when using its `useBuiltIns` option; and any "polyfill provider" plugin that depends on `@babel/helper-define-polyfill-provider`, such as `babel-plugin-polyfill-corejs3`, `babel-plugin-polyfill-corejs2`, `babel-plugin-polyfill-es-shims`, `babel-plugin-polyfill-regenerator`. No other plugins under the `@babel/` namespace are impacted, but third-party plugins might be. Users that only compile trusted code are not impacted. The vulnerability has been fixed in `@babel/traverse@7.23.2` and `@babel/traverse@8.0.0-alpha.4`. Those who cannot upgrade `@babel/traverse` and are using one of the affected packages mentioned above should upgrade them to their latest version to avoid triggering the vulnerable code path in affected `@babel/traverse` versions: `@babel/plugin-transform-runtime` v7.23.2, `@babel/preset-env` v7.23.2, `@babel/helper-define-polyfill-provider` v0.4.3, `babel-plugin-polyfill-corejs2` v0.4.6, `babel-plugin-polyfill-corejs3` v0.8.5, `babel-plugin-polyfill-es-shims` v0.10.0, `babel-plugin-polyfill-regenerator` v0.5.3.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Oct 12, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.5% · 44th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

35

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.5%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
8.8
CNA · GitHub_M
9.4
0.6 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2023-45133

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
debiandebian linux
babeljsbabel
babeljsbabel-helper-define-polyfill-provider
babeljsbabel-plugin-polyfill-corejs2
babeljsbabel-plugin-polyfill-corejs3
babeljsbabel-plugin-polyfill-es-shims
babeljsbabel-plugin-polyfill-regenerator
babeljsbabel-plugin-transform-runtime
babeljsbabel-preset-env

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • babeljs babelbefore 7.23.2
  • babeljs babel8.0.0
  • babeljs babel-helper-define-polyfill-providerbefore 0.4.3
  • babeljs babel-plugin-polyfill-corejs2before 0.4.6
  • babeljs babel-plugin-polyfill-corejs3before 0.8.5
  • babeljs babel-plugin-polyfill-es-shimsbefore 0.10.0
  • babeljs babel-plugin-polyfill-regeneratorbefore 0.5.3
  • babeljs babel-plugin-transform-runtimebefore 7.23.2
  • babeljs babel-preset-envbefore 7.23.2
  • debian debian linux10.0
  • debian debian linux11.0
  • debian debian linux12.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • babel babel

    • < 7.23.2, >= 8.0.0-alpha.0, < 8.0.0-alpha.4affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:10node-babelbefore 6.26.0+dfsg-3+deb10u16.26.0+dfsg-3+deb10u1
Debian:11node-babel7before 7.12.12+~cs150.141.84-6+deb11u17.12.12+~cs150.141.84-6+deb11u1
Debian:12node-babel7before 7.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-3+deb12u17.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-3+deb12u1
Debian:13node-babel7before 7.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-57.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-5
npm@babel/traversefrom 8.0.0-alpha.0 · before 8.0.0-alpha.48.0.0-alpha.4
npm@babel/traversebefore 7.23.27.23.2
npmbabel-traversefrom 0—
openSUSE:Tumbleweedteleportbefore 14.1.1-1.114.1.1-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedvelociraptorbefore 0.7.0.4.git142.862ef23-1.10.7.0.4.git142.862ef23-1.1

Same product

debian: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2016-9079A use-after-free vulnerability in SVG Animation has been discovered.KEV
    86Now
  • CVE-2024-44308The issue was addressed with improved checks.KEV
    68This week
  • CVE-2021-25216A second vulnerability in BIND's GSSAPI security policy negotiation can be targeted by a buffer overflow attack
    64This week

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-26314Feb 22, 2023 · The mono package before 6.8.0.105+dfsg-3.3 for Debian allows arbitrary code execution because the application/x-ms-dos-executable MIME type
    35Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-26604Mar 3, 2023 · systemd before 247 does not adequately block local privilege escalation for some Sudo configurations, e.g., plausible sudoers files in which
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-5981Nov 28, 2023 · Gnutls: timing side-channel in the rsa-psk authentication
    23Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:node-babel6.26.0+dfsg-3+deb10u1 · Debian:10Package registry (OSV)
debian:node-babel77.20.15+ds1+~cs214.269.168-3+deb12u1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
npm:@babel/traverse7.23.2Package registry (OSV)
npm:@babel/traverse8.0.0-alpha.4Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:teleport14.1.1-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:velociraptor0.7.0.4.git142.862ef23-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

—

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

  • CVE-2023-52160133 days apartThe implementation of PEAP in wpa_supplicant through 2.10 allows authentication bypass.
    26Monitor

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted

Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-184 · Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (6 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records