CVE-2026-33937 | Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion

Exp

Handlebars provides the power necessary to let users build semantic templates. In versions 4.0.0 through 4.7.8, `Handlebars.compile()` accepts a pre-parsed AST object in addition to a template string. The `value` field of a `NumberLiteral` AST node is emitted directly into the generated JavaScript without quoting or sanitization. An attacker who can supply a crafted AST to `compile()` can therefore inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript, leading to Remote Code Execution on the server. Version 4.7.9 fixes the issue. Some workarounds are available. Validate input type before calling `Handlebars.compile()`; ensure the argument is always a `string`, never a plain object or JSON-deserialized value. Use the Handlebars runtime-only build (`handlebars/runtime`) on the server if templates are pre-compiled at build time; `compile()` will be unavailable.

Published: 2026-03-27 Last update: 2026-03-31 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2026-33937 is rated High Exploit Risk (66.6/100): CVSS Critical severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.15%). Core evidence: 1 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). Mandatory action: Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2026-33937

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2026-33937

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-04-21 0.43% 0.15% -0.27%
2 2026-04-02 0.25% 0.43% +0.18%
3 2026-03-28 0.25%

Full EPSS history (3 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2026-33937

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
9.8 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
3.9 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2026-33937

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2026-33937

GHSA-2w6w-674q-4c4q · Severity: critical · Ecosystem: npm — Handlebars.js has JavaScript Injection via AST Type Confusion

OS Trackers for CVE-2026-33937

vendor priority summary link
debian not yet assigned CVE-2026-33937 not yet assigned priority: Debian including 1 source packages (node-handlebars), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): open 3, resolved 2. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-33937
redhat high https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-33937
ubuntu medium CVE-2026-33937 medium priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (node-handlebars), 6 status rows across 6 suites (bionic, focal, jammy, noble, questing, upstream): needs-triage 5, released 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-33937

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2026-33937

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
handlebarsjs handlebars >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9 cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

References for CVE-2026-33937

cvelogic Threat Intelligence