CVE-2026-33941 PUBLISHED

Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection in CLI Precompiler via Unescaped Names and Options

Assigner: GitHub_M
Reserved: 24.03.2026 Published: 27.03.2026 Updated: 27.03.2026

Handlebars provides the power necessary to let users build semantic templates. In versions 4.0.0 through 4.7.8, the Handlebars CLI precompiler (bin/handlebars / lib/precompiler.js) concatenates user-controlled strings — template file names and several CLI options — directly into the JavaScript it emits, without any escaping or sanitization. An attacker who can influence template filenames or CLI arguments can inject arbitrary JavaScript that executes when the generated bundle is loaded in Node.js or a browser. Version 4.7.9 fixes the issue. Some workarounds are available. First, validate all CLI inputs before invoking the precompiler. Reject filenames and option values that contain characters with JavaScript string-escaping significance (", ', ;, etc.). Second, use a fixed, trusted namespace string passed via a configuration file rather than command-line arguments in automated pipelines. Third, run the precompiler in a sandboxed environment (container with no write access to sensitive paths) to limit the impact of successful exploitation. Fourth, audit template filenames in any repository or package that is consumed by an automated build pipeline.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS Score: 8.3

Product Status

Vendor handlebars-lang
Product handlebars.js
Versions
  • Version >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 is affected

References

Problem Types

  • CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') CWE
  • CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') CWE
  • CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output CWE