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CVE-2026-33939

Handlebars.js has Denial of Service via Malformed Decorator Syntax in Template Compilation PUBLISHED

Description (CNA)

Handlebars provides the power necessary to let users build semantic templates. In versions 4.0.0 through 4.7.8, when a Handlebars template contains decorator syntax referencing an unregistered decorator (e.g. `{{*n}}`), the compiled template calls `lookupProperty(decorators, "n")`, which returns `undefined`. The runtime then immediately invokes the result as a function, causing an unhandled `TypeError: ... is not a function` that crashes the Node.js process. Any application that compiles user-supplied templates without wrapping the call in a `try/catch` is vulnerable to a single-request Denial of Service. Version 4.7.9 fixes the issue. Some workarounds are available. Wrap compilation and rendering in `try/catch`. Validate template input before passing it to `compile()`; reject templates containing decorator syntax (`{{*...}}`) if decorators are not used in your application. Use the pre-compilation workflow; compile templates at build time and serve only pre-compiled templates; do not call `compile()` at request time.

Affected (CNA)

Vendor / productVersions
handlebars-lang / handlebars.jsaffected >= 4.0.0, < 4.7.9

CWE

CWE-754

References

ADP enrichment

CISA-ADP

No English description supplied.

redhat-SADP

A flaw was found in Handlebars.js. A remote attacker can exploit this by submitting a malformed Handlebars template that includes decorator syntax referencing an unregistered decorator. When the application attempts to compile this template without proper error handling, it triggers an unhandled `TypeError`. This error causes the Node.js process to crash, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) for the affected application.