vm: introduce vanilla contexts via vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT

This implements a flavor of vm.createContext() and friends
that creates a context without the interceptors. This is suitable
when users want to freeze the context (impossible when the global
has interceptors installed) or speed up the global access if
they don't need the interceptor behavior.

```js
const vm = require('node:vm');

// Use vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT to create a vanilla context.
const context = vm.createContext(vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT);

// In contexts with contextified global objects, this is false.
// In vanilla contexts this is true.
console.log(vm.runInContext('globalThis', context) === context);

// In contexts with contextified global objects, this would throw,
// but in vanilla contexts freezing the global object works.
vm.runInContext('Object.freeze(globalThis);', context);

// In contexts with contextified global objects, freezing throws
// and won't be effective. In vanilla contexts, freezing works
// and prevents scripts from accidentally leaking globals.
try {
  vm.runInContext('globalThis.foo = 1; foo;', context);
} catch(e) {
  console.log(e); // Uncaught ReferenceError: foo is not defined
}
```

Author: joyeecheung

doc/api/vm.md

@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ overhead.
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.3.1
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/54394
+    description: The `contextObject` argument now accepts `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`.
   - version: v14.6.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/34023
     description: The `microtaskMode` option is supported now.
@@ -240,8 +243,9 @@ changes:
     description: The `breakOnSigint` option is supported now.
 -->
 
-* `contextObject` {Object} An object that will be [contextified][]. If
-  `undefined`, a new object will be created.
+* `contextObject` {Object|vm.constants.VANILLA\_CONTEXT|undefined}
+  Either [`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`][] or an object that will be [contextified][].
+  If `undefined`, an empty contextified object will be created for backwards compatibility.
 * `options` {Object}
   * `displayErrors` {boolean} When `true`, if an [`Error`][] occurs
     while compiling the `code`, the line of code causing the error is attached
@@ -275,7 +279,9 @@ changes:
     `breakOnSigint` scopes in that case.
 * Returns: {any} the result of the very last statement executed in the script.
 
-First contextifies the given `contextObject`, runs the compiled code contained
+First contextifies the given `contextObject` (or
+creates a new `contextObject` if passed as `undefined`), or creates a new
+vanilla context (if it's `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`), runs the compiled code contained
 by the `vm.Script` object within the created context, and returns the result.
 Running code does not have access to local scope.
 
@@ -295,6 +301,12 @@ contexts.forEach((context) => {
 
 console.log(contexts);
 // Prints: [{ globalVar: 'set' }, { globalVar: 'set' }, { globalVar: 'set' }]
+
+// This would throw if the context is created from a contextified object.
+// vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT allows creating vanilla contexts with ordinary
+// global objects that can be freezed.
+const freezeScript = new vm.Script('Object.freeze(globalThis); globalThis;');
+const freezedContext = freezeScript.runInNewContext(vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT);
 ```
 
 ### `script.runInThisContext([options])`
@@ -1072,6 +1084,10 @@ For detailed information, see
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.3.1
 changes:
+  - version:
+    - REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/54394
+    description: The `contextObject` argument now accepts `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`.
   - version:
     - v21.7.0
     - v20.12.0
@@ -1094,7 +1110,9 @@ changes:
     description: The `codeGeneration` option is supported now.
 -->
 
-* `contextObject` {Object}
+* `contextObject` {Object|vm.constants.VANILLA\_CONTEXT|undefined}
+  Either [`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`][] or an object that will be [contextified][].
+  If `undefined`, an empty contextified object will be created for backwards compatibility.
 * `options` {Object}
   * `name` {string} Human-readable name of the newly created context.
     **Default:** `'VM Context i'`, where `i` is an ascending numerical index of
@@ -1124,10 +1142,10 @@ changes:
     [Support of dynamic `import()` in compilation APIs][].
 * Returns: {Object} contextified object.
 
-If given a `contextObject`, the `vm.createContext()` method will [prepare that
+If the given `contextObject` is an object, the `vm.createContext()` method will [prepare that
 object][contextified] and return a reference to it so that it can be used in
 calls to [`vm.runInContext()`][] or [`script.runInContext()`][]. Inside such
-scripts, the `contextObject` will be the global object, retaining all of its
+scripts, the global object will be wrapped by the `contextObject`, retaining all of its
 existing properties but also having the built-in objects and functions any
 standard [global object][] has. Outside of scripts run by the vm module, global
 variables will remain unchanged.
@@ -1152,6 +1170,12 @@ console.log(global.globalVar);
 If `contextObject` is omitted (or passed explicitly as `undefined`), a new,
 empty [contextified][] object will be returned.
 
+The global object wrapped as a [contextified][] object has some particularities compared to
+normal global objects. For example, it cannot be freezed. To create a vanilla context with an
+ordinary global object, pass [`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`][] as the `contextObject` argument.
+The returned object will be the global object of the newly created context itself, without a
+contextified wrapper in between. See documentation of [`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`][] for details.
+
 The `vm.createContext()` method is primarily useful for creating a single
 context that can be used to run multiple scripts. For instance, if emulating a
 web browser, the method can be used to create a single context representing a
@@ -1171,7 +1195,8 @@ added: v0.11.7
 * Returns: {boolean}
 
 Returns `true` if the given `object` object has been [contextified][] using
-[`vm.createContext()`][].
+[`vm.createContext()`][], or if it's the global object of a context created
+using [`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`][].
 
 ## `vm.measureMemory([options])`
 
@@ -1332,6 +1357,10 @@ console.log(contextObject);
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.3.1
 changes:
+  - version:
+    - REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/54394
+    description: The `contextObject` argument now accepts `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`.
   - version:
     - v21.7.0
     - v20.12.0
@@ -1356,8 +1385,9 @@ changes:
 -->
 
 * `code` {string} The JavaScript code to compile and run.
-* `contextObject` {Object} An object that will be [contextified][]. If
-  `undefined`, a new object will be created.
+* `contextObject` {Object|vm.constants.VANILLA\_CONTEXT|undefined}
+  Either [`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`][] or an object that will be [contextified][].
+  If `undefined`, an empty contextified object will be created for backwards compatibility.
 * `options` {Object|string}
   * `filename` {string} Specifies the filename used in stack traces produced
     by this script. **Default:** `'evalmachine.<anonymous>'`.
@@ -1408,7 +1438,8 @@ changes:
 * Returns: {any} the result of the very last statement executed in the script.
 
 The `vm.runInNewContext()` first contextifies the given `contextObject` (or
-creates a new `contextObject` if passed as `undefined`), compiles the `code`,
+creates a new `contextObject` if passed as `undefined`), or creates a new
+vanilla context (if it's `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`), compiles the `code`,
 runs it within the created context, then returns the result. Running code
 does not have access to the local scope.
 
@@ -1428,6 +1459,11 @@ const contextObject = {
 vm.runInNewContext('count += 1; name = "kitty"', contextObject);
 console.log(contextObject);
 // Prints: { animal: 'cat', count: 3, name: 'kitty' }
+
+// This would throw if the context is created from a contextified object.
+// vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT allows creating vanilla contexts with ordinary
+// global objects that can be freezed.
+const freezedContext = vm.runInNewContext('Object.freeze(globalThis); globalThis;', vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT);
 ```
 
 ## `vm.runInThisContext(code[, options])`
@@ -1555,13 +1591,66 @@ According to the [V8 Embedder's Guide][]:
 > JavaScript applications to run in a single instance of V8. You must explicitly
 > specify the context in which you want any JavaScript code to be run.
 
-When the method `vm.createContext()` is called, the `contextObject` argument
-(or a newly-created object if `contextObject` is `undefined`) is associated
-internally with a new instance of a V8 Context. This V8 Context provides the
-`code` run using the `node:vm` module's methods with an isolated global
-environment within which it can operate. The process of creating the V8 Context
-and associating it with the `contextObject` is what this document refers to as
-"contextifying" the object.
+When the method `vm.createContext()` is called with an object, the `contextObject` argument
+will be used to wrap the global object of a new instance of a V8 Context
+(if `contextObject` is `undefined`, a new object will be created from the current context
+before its contextified). This V8 Context provides the `code` run using the `node:vm`
+module's methods with an isolated global environment within which it can operate.
+The process of creating the V8 Context and associating it with the `contextObject`
+is what this document refers to as "contextifying" the object.
+
+The contextifying would make the global object within the V8 context behave differently
+from a normal global object. For example, it is not reference equal to the `globalThis`
+value in the context, and it cannot be freezed.
+
+```js
+const vm = require('node:vm');
+
+// An undefined `contextObject` option makes the global object contextified.
+let context = vm.createContext();
+console.log(vm.runInContext('globalThis', context) === context);  // false
+// A contextified global object cannot be freezed.
+try {
+  vm.runInContext('Object.freeze(globalThis);', context);
+} catch(e) {
+  console.log(e); // TypeError: Cannot freeze
+}
+console.log(vm.runInContext('globalThis.foo = 1; foo;', context));  // 1
+```
+
+To create a vanilla context with an ordinary global object, specify `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`
+as the `contextObject` argument.
+
+### `vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`
+
+This constant, when used as the `contextObject` argument in vm APIs, instructs Node.js to create
+a context without wrapping its global object with another object in the outer context. As a result,
+the global object inside the new context would behave more closely to an ordinary global object.
+For example, it can be freezed to prevent unintentional leakage to the global scope.
+
+```js
+const vm = require('node:vm');
+
+// Use vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT to freeze the global object.
+const freezedContext = vm.createContext(vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT);
+vm.runInContext('Object.freeze(globalThis);', freezedContext);
+try {
+  vm.runInContext('globalThis.foo = 1; foo;', freezedContext);
+} catch(e) {
+  console.log(e); // Uncaught ReferenceError: foo is not defined
+}
+```
+
+When used as the `contextObject` argument to [`vm.createContext()`][], the returned object
+is the global object of the context.
+The global object can also be modified from outside the context.
+
+```js
+const context = vm.createContext(vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT);
+console.log(vm.runInContext('globalThis', context) === context);  // true
+context.bar = 1;
+console.log(vm.runInContext('bar;', context));  // 1
+```
 
 ## Timeout interactions with asynchronous tasks and Promises
 
@@ -1851,6 +1940,7 @@ const { Script, SyntheticModule } = require('node:vm');
 [`script.runInThisContext()`]: #scriptruninthiscontextoptions
 [`url.origin`]: url.md#urlorigin
 [`vm.compileFunction()`]: #vmcompilefunctioncode-params-options
+[`vm.constants.VANILLA_CONTEXT`]: #vmconstantsvanillacontext
 [`vm.createContext()`]: #vmcreatecontextcontextobject-options
 [`vm.runInContext()`]: #vmrunincontextcode-contextifiedobject-options
 [`vm.runInThisContext()`]: #vmruninthiscontextcode-options

lib/vm.js

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ const {
 } = require('internal/vm');
 const {
   vm_dynamic_import_main_context_default,
+  vm_context_vanilla,
 } = internalBinding('symbols');
 const kParsingContext = Symbol('script parsing context');
 
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ function getContextOptions(options) {
 
 let defaultContextNameIndex = 1;
 function createContext(contextObject = {}, options = kEmptyObject) {
-  if (isContext(contextObject)) {
+  if (contextObject !== vm_context_vanilla && isContext(contextObject)) {
     return contextObject;
   }
 
@@ -258,10 +259,10 @@ function createContext(contextObject = {}, options = kEmptyObject) {
   const hostDefinedOptionId =
     getHostDefinedOptionId(importModuleDynamically, name);
 
-  makeContext(contextObject, name, origin, strings, wasm, microtaskQueue, hostDefinedOptionId);
+  const result = makeContext(contextObject, name, origin, strings, wasm, microtaskQueue, hostDefinedOptionId);
   // Register the context scope callback after the context was initialized.
-  registerImportModuleDynamically(contextObject, importModuleDynamically);
-  return contextObject;
+  registerImportModuleDynamically(result, importModuleDynamically);
+  return result;
 }
 
 function createScript(code, options) {
@@ -394,6 +395,7 @@ function measureMemory(options = kEmptyObject) {
 const vmConstants = {
   __proto__: null,
   USE_MAIN_CONTEXT_DEFAULT_LOADER: vm_dynamic_import_main_context_default,
+  VANILLA_CONTEXT: vm_context_vanilla,
 };
 
 ObjectFreeze(vmConstants);

src/env_properties.h

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
   V(resource_symbol, "resource_symbol")                                        \
   V(trigger_async_id_symbol, "trigger_async_id_symbol")                        \
   V(source_text_module_default_hdo, "source_text_module_default_hdo")          \
+  V(vm_context_vanilla, "vm_context_vanilla")                                  \
   V(vm_dynamic_import_default_internal, "vm_dynamic_import_default_internal")  \
   V(vm_dynamic_import_main_context_default,                                    \
     "vm_dynamic_import_main_context_default")                                  \