CVE-2026-33940Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion when passing an object as dynamic partial
- 8.1HighCVSS base score
- 0.73%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 45% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- YesPublic exploitsa reference or SSVC says so
Description
Handlebars provides the power necessary to let users build semantic templates. In versions 4.0.0 through 4.7.8, a crafted object placed in the template context can bypass all conditional guards in `resolvePartial()` and cause `invokePartial()` to return `undefined`. The Handlebars runtime then treats the unresolved partial as a source that needs to be compiled, passing the crafted object to `env.compile()`. Because the object is a valid Handlebars AST containing injected code, the generated JavaScript executes arbitrary commands on the server. The attack requires the adversary to control a value that can be returned by a dynamic partial lookup. Version 4.7.9 fixes the issue. Some workarounds are available. First, use the runtime-only build (`require('handlebars/runtime')`). Without `compile()`, the fallback compilation path in `invokePartial` is unreachable. Second, sanitize context data before rendering: Ensure no value in the context is a non-primitive object that could be passed to a dynamic partial. Third, avoid dynamic partial lookups (`{{> (lookup ...)}}`) when context data is user-controlled.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: a proof of concept is public.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 3 days later
· 3 days later
Published
- 5 months later
· 5 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High8.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| redhat-SADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | High8.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High8.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.73% · top 45% of all CVEs (15 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 8.1.
Affected products
handlebars-lang · handlebars.js
- affected >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- npmhandlebarsGHSA-xhpv-hc6g-r9c6 (opens in a new tab)
References
References8
- https://github.com/handlebars-lang/handlebars.js/security/advisories/GHSA-xhpv-hc6g-r9c6 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/handlebars-lang/handlebars.js/commit/68d8df5a88e0a26fe9e6084c5c6aaebe67b07da2 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/handlebars-lang/handlebars.js/releases/tag/v4.7.9 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-33940 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2452521 (opens in a new tab)issue-trackingx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-33940.json (opens in a new tab)x_sadp-csaf-vex
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:34342 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:10175 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-16860 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-xhpv-hc6g-r9c6 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-33940)Record last updated .