node-handlebars — security advisory
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.
- Products
- node-handlebars
- Affected versions
- 3:4.7.10-1, 3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1, 3:4.7.9-1, 3:4.7.9-2, 3:4.7.9-3, 3:4.7.9-4, 3:4.7.9-5, 3:4.7.9-6
- Fixed versions
- 3:4.7.9-1
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-33939
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 1 Nov 2026, 17:51 UTC · Revision 2
Source evidence
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.
osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939
node-handlebars
Fixed versions: Not specified
node-handlebars
Fixed versions: Not specified
node-handlebars
Fixed versions: 3:4.7.9-1
Complete source record
{
"id": "f31a614d2322b71cc1baf738d05e44e43d9e358eea53f5bb4425251f85e4b4c8",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939",
"summary": "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.",
"evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "node-handlebars",
"evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "3:4.7.10-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-2",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-3",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-4",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-5",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-6",
"evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
}
]
},
{
"name": {
"value": "node-handlebars",
"evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "3:4.7.10-1",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-1",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-2",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-3",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-4",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-5",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
},
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-6",
"evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
}
]
},
{
"name": {
"value": "node-handlebars",
"evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "3:4.7.9-1",
"evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": [
{
"value": "3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1",
"evidence": "/affected/2/versions"
}
]
}
],
"severity": "high",
"structured": {
"id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939",
"aliases": [
"DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939"
],
"metrics": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
}
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "node-handlebars",
"purl": "pkg:deb/debian/node-handlebars?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
"ecosystem": "Debian:12"
},
"versions": [
"3:4.7.10-1",
"3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1",
"3:4.7.9-1",
"3:4.7.9-2",
"3:4.7.9-3",
"3:4.7.9-4",
"3:4.7.9-5",
"3:4.7.9-6"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "not yet assigned"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "node-handlebars",
"purl": "pkg:deb/debian/node-handlebars?arch=source&distro=trixie",
"ecosystem": "Debian:13"
},
"versions": [
"3:4.7.10-1",
"3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1",
"3:4.7.9-1",
"3:4.7.9-2",
"3:4.7.9-3",
"3:4.7.9-4",
"3:4.7.9-5",
"3:4.7.9-6"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "not yet assigned"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "3:4.7.9-1"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "node-handlebars",
"purl": "pkg:deb/debian/node-handlebars?arch=source&distro=forky",
"ecosystem": "Debian:14"
},
"versions": [
"3:4.7.7+~4.1.0-1"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33939.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "not yet assigned"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-27T10:00:58.186454812Z",
"provider": "osv",
"upstream": [
"CVE-2026-33939"
],
"references": [
"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-33939"
]
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2026-33939",
"evidence": "/upstream"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 461366,
"published_at": "2026-03-27T22:16:20.857+00:00"
}