Description
Handlebars provides the power necessary to let users build semantic templates. In versions 4.0.0 through 4.7.8, `resolvePartial()` in the Handlebars runtime resolves partial names via a plain property lookup on `options.partials` without guarding against prototype-chain traversal. When `Object.prototype` has been polluted with a string value whose key matches a partial reference in a template, the polluted string is used as the partial body and rendered without HTML escaping, resulting in reflected or stored XSS. Version 4.7.9 fixes the issue. Some workarounds are available. Apply `Object.freeze(Object.prototype)` early in application startup to prevent prototype pollution. Note: this may break other libraries, and/or use the Handlebars runtime-only build (`handlebars/runtime`), which does not compile templates and reduces the attack surface.
Published: 2026-03-27
Score: 4.7 Medium
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-2qvq-rjwj-gvw9 Handlebars.js has Prototype Pollution Leading to XSS through Partial Template Injection
History

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 03:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Handlebars provides the power necessary to let users build semantic templates. In versions 4.0.0 through 4.7.8, `resolvePartial()` in the Handlebars runtime resolves partial names via a plain property lookup on `options.partials` without guarding against prototype-chain traversal. When `Object.prototype` has been polluted with a string value whose key matches a partial reference in a template, the polluted string is used as the partial body and rendered without HTML escaping, resulting in reflected or stored XSS. Version 4.7.9 fixes the issue. Some workarounds are available. Apply `Object.freeze(Object.prototype)` early in application startup to prevent prototype pollution. Note: this may break other libraries, and/or use the Handlebars runtime-only build (`handlebars/runtime`), which does not compile templates and reduces the attack surface.
Title Handlebars.js has Prototype Pollution Leading to XSS through Partial Template Injection
Weaknesses CWE-1321
CWE-79
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N'}


Subscriptions

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-03-27T21:00:48.624Z

Reserved: 2026-03-24T15:41:47.492Z

Link: CVE-2026-33916

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-03-27T21:17:27.237

Modified: 2026-03-27T21:17:27.237

Link: CVE-2026-33916

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses