How severe is CVE-2026-55760?

CVE-2026-55760 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-55760?

CVE-2026-55760 affects the following packages: com.github.jknack:handlebars (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2026-55760?

Update com.github.jknack:handlebars to 4.5.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-55760 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-55760 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for com.github.jknack:handlebars, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2026-55760 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.

Is CVE-2026-55760 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-55760 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-55760?

CVE-2026-55760 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.5%, placing it in the 43th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-55760?

CVE-2026-55760 is classified as Path Traversal (CWE-22). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2026-55760 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-55760 was published on July 8, 2026 and was last updated on August 12, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2026-55760 — handlebars

HIGHFix: jknack/handlebars.java@d177cde

CVE-2026-55760 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Path Traversal vulnerability in com.github.jknack:handlebars. A fix is available for com.github.jknack:handlebars — see the affected versions and patch details below.

handlebars.java FileTemplateLoader Path Traversal

Also known asGHSA-r4gv-qr8j-p3pg

Published

Jul 8, 2026

Updated

Aug 12, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Oct 6, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-55760.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.5%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs43th percentile — riskier than 43% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2026-55760 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 383,485 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

☕com.github.jknack:handlebars

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Impact

Any application that passes user-controlled input to Handlebars.compile() using a FileTemplateLoader (or ClassPathTemplateLoader) is vulnerable to arbitrary file read. This is a realistic attack surface for web applications that use template names from URL path parameters, request parameters, or other user-controlled sources.

Patches

com.github.jknack:handlebars:4.5.2

Workarounds

Validate template name is derived from user input.

if (!file.getPath().startsWith(new File(prefix).getCanonicalPath())) {
        throw new IOException("Path traversal attempt detected: " + location);
}

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`com.github.jknack:handlebars`	all versions	4.5.2`com.github.jknack:handlebars:4.5.2`

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for com.github.jknack:handlebars, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update com.github.jknack:handlebars to 4.5.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-55760 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.

Frequently Asked Questions

### Impact Any application that passes user-controlled input to Handlebars.compile() using a FileTemplateLoader (or ClassPathTemplateLoader) is vulnerable to arbitrary file read. This is a realistic attack surface for web applications that use template names from URL path parameters, request parameters, or other user-controlled sources. ### Patches com.github.jknack:handlebars:4.5.2 ### Workarounds Validate template name is derived from user input. ```java if (!file.getPath().startsWith(new File(prefix).getCanonicalPath())) { throw new IOException("Path traversal attempt detected: