CVE-2022-29078 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Code Injection vulnerability in ejs. 4 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for ejs — see the affected versions and patch details below.
ejs template injection vulnerability
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2022-29078 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 394,803 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
ejsnpmDescription
The ejs (aka Embedded JavaScript templates) package 3.1.6 for Node.js allows server-side template injection in settings[view options][outputFunctionName]. This is parsed as an internal option, and overwrites the outputFunctionName option with an arbitrary OS command (which is executed upon template compilation).
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | ejs | all versions | 3.1.7npm install ejs@3.1.7 |
Affected Products
ejsejsResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for ejs, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update ejs to 3.1.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-29078 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.
How to detect CVE-2022-29078
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2022-29078 -u https://target- Template
- Node.js Embedded JavaScript 3.1.6 - Template Injection
- Severity
- critical
- Impact
- Remote code execution can lead to unauthorized access, data leakage, and complete system compromise.
- Remediation
- Upgrade to a patched version of Node.js Embedded JavaScript (3.1.7 or higher) to mitigate the vulnerability.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (For3stCo1d), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-29078 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.