How severe is GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh?

No CVSS score has been assigned to GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh?

GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh affects the following packages: handlebars (npm), handlebars (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh?

Update handlebars to 3.0.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for handlebars. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh?

O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh 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.

When was GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh was published on September 4, 2020 and was last updated on February 4, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

📦 npm

Not in CISA KEV

GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh

GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh is a remote code execution vulnerability in handlebars. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.

Arbitrary Code Execution in handlebars

Published

Sep 4, 2020

Updated

Feb 4, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Feb 4, 2026 · OSV.dev, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Real-World Exposure

2 pkgs affected

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.

17Kother npm packages depend on this — each one inherits the vulnerability until it's patched upstream

handlebarsnpm

42.9Mdownloads / week

Description

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.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`handlebars`	all versions	3.0.8
📦npm	`handlebars`	≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.5.3	4.5.3

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for handlebars. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update handlebars to 3.0.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

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](https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1316). 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.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh in your dependencies?

O3 detects GHSA-q2c6-c6pm-g3gh across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works