GHSA-phwq-j96m-2c2q 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.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-phwq-j96m-2c2q by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 395,249 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 GHSA-phwq-j96m-2c2q 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 GHSA-phwq-j96m-2c2q
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id ghsa-phwq-j96m-2c2q -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 GHSA-phwq-j96m-2c2q in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.