CVE-2026-49458

Versions of handlebars prior to 3.0.8 or 4.5.3 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution. The package's lookup helper fails to properly validate templates, allowing attackers to submit templates that execute arbitrary JavaScript in the system. It is due to an incomplete fix for a previous issue. This vulnerability can be used to run arbitrary code in a server processing Handlebars templates or on a victim's browser (effectively serving as Cross-Site Scripting).

Recommendation

Upgrade to version 3.0.8, 4.5.3 or later.

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Prior to 3.4.6, DOMPurify.sanitize(node, { IN_PLACE: true }) accepted same-origin foreign-realm DOM nodes while follow-on checks used parent-realm constructors, causing instanceof checks for forms, named node maps, document fragments, and elements to fail and skip clobber, template-content, and shadow-DOM sanitization branches so executable markup could survive. This issue is fixed in version 3.4.6.

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Prior to 3.4.6, DOMPurify.sanitize(node, { IN_PLACE: true }) accepted same-origin foreign-realm DOM nodes while follow-on checks used parent-realm constructors, causing instanceof checks for forms, named node maps, document fragments, and elements to fail and skip clobber, template-content, and shadow-DOM sanitization branches so executable markup could survive. This issue is fixed in version 3.4.6.

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Prior to 3.4.6, DOMPurify.sanitize(node, { IN_PLACE: true }) accepted same-origin foreign-realm DOM nodes while follow-on checks used parent-realm constructors, causing instanceof checks for forms, named node maps, document fragments, and elements to fail and skip clobber, template-content, and shadow-DOM sanitization branches so executable markup could survive. This issue is fixed in version 3.4.6.

Versions of handlebars prior to 3.0.8 or 4.5.2 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution. The package's lookup helper fails to properly validate templates, allowing attackers to submit templates that execute arbitrary JavaScript in the system. It can be used to run arbitrary code in a server processing Handlebars templates or on a victim's browser (effectively serving as Cross-Site Scripting).

The following template can be used to demonstrate the vulnerability:

	{{#with split as |a|}}
		{{pop (push "alert('Vulnerable Handlebars JS');")}}
		{{#with (concat (lookup join (slice 0 1)))}}
			{{#each (slice 2 3)}}
				{{#with (apply 0 a)}}
					{{.}}
				{{/with}}
			{{/each}}
		{{/with}}
	{{/with}}
{{/with}}```


## Recommendation

Upgrade to version 3.0.8, 4.5.2 or later.

Cross-realm IN_PLACE sanitization leaves executable markup intact via realm-bound instanceof checks

CWE: CWE-79 (XSS — Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation) via CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure — realm-bound instanceof checks fail-open on foreign-realm DOM nodes) and CWE-501 (Trust Boundary Violation — foreign-realm nodes accepted for sanitization but later checks are bound to the parent realm)

Summary

DOMPurify.sanitize(node, { IN_PLACE: true }) accepts a DOM node from any same-origin realm (e.g. a node owned by an application-created iframe document), but several follow-on security checks compare the node against constructors from the parent realm. Because constructors are per-realm, instanceof HTMLFormElement, instanceof NamedNodeMap, instanceof DocumentFragment, and instanceof Element all return false for nodes belonging to the iframe's realm. The library therefore proceeds as if the foreign-realm form is not clobberable, the foreign-realm <template>'s .content is not a document fragment, and the foreign-realm attached shadow root is not a document fragment — silently skipping the clobber/template-content/shadow-DOM sanitization branches that those checks gate. Attacker-controlled markup survives in form attributes, template content, and attached shadow roots, and executes when the application later inserts or activates the sanitized node.

Affected

• DOMPurify ≤ 3.4.5, including main at 89da34e03ec17868e561f87f3747a9371b61a9e7
• Any caller that constructs or parses untrusted DOM in a same-origin iframe (or any other same-origin realm — popup window, opened tab, programmatically-created <iframe srcdoc>) and then calls DOMPurify.sanitize(foreignNode, { IN_PLACE: true }) against a sanitizer instance bound to a different realm

Not affected:

• String-input DOMPurify.sanitize(dirtyString) — the library calls its own parser inside _initDocument, the resulting nodes belong to the sanitizer's own realm, and the instanceof checks resolve as expected
• IN_PLACE calls where the input node was created in the same realm as the DOMPurify instance

Vulnerability details

The unifying defect is that _isClobbered, _sanitizeShadowDOM's template-content recursion, and _sanitizeAttachedShadowRoots all use realm-bound instanceof checks against the parent-realm constructors. Each branch fails-open for foreign-realm objects.

[A] — _isClobbered gates on element instanceof HTMLFormElement

src/purify.ts:1120-1140:

const _isClobbered = function (element: Element): boolean {
  return (
    element instanceof HTMLFormElement &&    // [A] realm-bound — false for any
                                              //     iframe-realm <form> element
    (typeof element.nodeName !== 'string' ||
      typeof element.textContent !== 'string' ||
      typeof element.removeChild !== 'function' ||
      !(element.attributes instanceof NamedNodeMap) ||   // [A'] also realm-bound
      typeof element.removeAttribute !== 'function' ||
      typeof element.setAttribute !== 'function' ||
      typeof element.namespaceURI !== 'string' ||
      typeof element.insertBefore !== 'function' ||
      typeof element.hasChildNodes !== 'function' ||
      !(element.childNodes && typeof element.childNodes.length === 'number'))
  );
};

A foreign-realm <form> is an instance of the foreign realm's HTMLFormElement, not the parent realm's. The leading instanceof short-circuits to false, so _isClobbered returns false regardless of the named-property clobbering present on the form. The follow-on _sanitizeAttributes then iterates currentNode.attributes — which itself can be a clobbered value (a foreign-realm <input> whose name="attributes" shadows the form's real NamedNodeMap). The attribute walk traverses the wrong collection and never reaches the actual onmouseover / onclick / action=javascript: attributes on the form root.…

Versions of handlebars prior to 4.0.14 are vulnerable to Prototype Pollution. Templates may alter an Objects' prototype, thus allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the server.

Recommendation

For handlebars 4.1.x upgrade to 4.1.2 or later. For handlebars 4.0.x upgrade to 4.0.14 or later.

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Prior to 3.4.6, DOMPurify.sanitize(node, { IN_PLACE: true }) accepted same-origin foreign-realm DOM nodes while follow-on checks used parent-realm constructors, causing instanceof checks for forms, named node maps, document fragments, and elements to fail and skip clobber, template-content, and shadow-DOM sanitization branches so executable markup could survive. This issue is fixed in version 3.4.6.

TuxCare rebuilt handlebars to address 1 CVE. Fixed in 1.3.0-tuxcare.1.

TuxCare rebuilt handlebars to address 3 CVEs. Fixed in 1.0.12-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 1 CVE. Fixed in 3.1.6-tuxcare.6.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 10 CVEs. Fixed in 3.2.3-tuxcare.3.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 34 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.3-tuxcare.1.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 10 CVEs. Fixed in 3.2.7-tuxcare.1.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 11 CVEs. Fixed in 2.3.0-tuxcare.5.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 9 CVEs. Fixed in 2.4.0-tuxcare.5.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 12 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.3-tuxcare.5.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 9 CVEs. Fixed in 2.4.7-tuxcare.5.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 12 CVEs. Fixed in 2.4.3-tuxcare.8.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 8 CVEs. Fixed in 2.5.8-tuxcare.7.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 9 CVEs. Fixed in 3.4.5-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 12 CVEs. Fixed in 3.1.3-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 9 CVEs. Fixed in 3.1.2-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 11 CVEs. Fixed in 3.1.4-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 9 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.2-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 6 CVEs. Fixed in 2.0.8-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 10 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.9-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 11 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.8-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 5 CVEs. Fixed in 2.3.10-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 10 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.1-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 13 CVEs. Fixed in 3.1.0-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 12 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.11-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 5 CVEs. Fixed in 3.3.3-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 8 CVEs. Fixed in 3.1.1-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 10 CVEs. Fixed in 3.2.6-tuxcare.2.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 12 CVEs. Fixed in 2.3.3-tuxcare.3.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 7 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.6-tuxcare.5.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 12 CVEs. Fixed in 3.4.0-tuxcare.1.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 11 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.5-tuxcare.4.

TuxCare rebuilt dompurify to address 11 CVEs. Fixed in 3.0.4-tuxcare.4.

Versions of handlebars prior to 3.0.8 or 4.5.3 are vulnerable to prototype pollution. It is possible to add or modify properties to the Object prototype through a malicious template. This may allow attackers to crash the application or execute Arbitrary Code in specific conditions.

Recommendation

Upgrade to version 3.0.8, 4.5.3 or later.

Versions of handlebars prior to 3.0.8 or 4.5.3 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution. The package's lookup helper fails to properly validate templates, allowing attackers to submit templates that execute arbitrary JavaScript in the system. It is due to an incomplete fix for a previous issue. This vulnerability can be used to run arbitrary code in a server processing Handlebars templates or on a victim's browser (effectively serving as Cross-Site Scripting).

Recommendation

Upgrade to version 3.0.8, 4.5.3 or later.

Root has patched CVE-2026-49458 in the dompurify package for Root:npm. Multiple fixed versions available.

Root has patched GHSA-2cf5-4w76-r9qv in the handlebars package for Root:npm. Multiple fixed versions available.

Root has patched GHSA-g9r4-xpmj-mj65 in the handlebars package for Root:npm. Multiple fixed versions available.

Root has patched GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh in the handlebars package for Root:npm. Multiple fixed versions available.

Root has patched GHSA-q42p-pg8m-cqh6 in the handlebars package for Root:npm. Multiple fixed versions available.