What is CVE-2021-32818?

CVE-2021-32818 is a high-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in haml-coffee (npm), affecting versions <= 1.14.1. No fixed version is listed yet. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.

How severe is CVE-2021-32818?

CVE-2021-32818 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of haml-coffee are affected by CVE-2021-32818?

haml-coffee (npm) versions <= 1.14.1 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2021-32818?

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2021-32818 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.

Is CVE-2021-32818 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-32818 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2021-32818 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2021-32818 in haml-coffee

Q: How severe is CVE-2021-32818?

CVE-2021-32818 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of haml-coffee are affected by CVE-2021-32818?

haml-coffee (npm) versions <= 1.14.1 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2021-32818?

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2021-32818 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.

Q: Is CVE-2021-32818 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-32818 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2021-32818 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2021-32818?

No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Validate and encode untrusted input before rendering it as HTML. Applying a Content Security Policy reduces the impact if encoding is bypassed.

Summary

Insecure template handling in haml-coffee

haml-coffee is a JavaScript templating solution. haml-coffee mixes pure template data with engine configuration options through the Express render API. More specifically, haml-coffee supports overriding a series of HTML helper functions through its configuration options. A vulnerable application that passes user controlled request objects to the haml-coffee template engine may introduce RCE vulnerabilities. Additionally control over the escapeHtml parameter through template configuration pollution ensures that haml-coffee would not sanitize template inputs that may result in reflected Cross Site Scripting attacks against downstream applications. There is currently no fix for these issues as of the publication of this CVE. The latest version of haml-coffee is currently 1.14.1. For complete details refer to the referenced GHSL-2021-025.

Impact

Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.

CVE-2021-32818 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.

Affected versions

haml-coffee (<= 1.14.1)

Security releases

Not available

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2021-32818 yet.

In the interim: Validate and encode untrusted input before rendering it as HTML. Applying a Content Security Policy reduces the impact if encoding is bypassed.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-32818? CVE-2021-32818 is a high-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in haml-coffee (npm), affecting versions <= 1.14.1. No fixed version is listed yet. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
How severe is CVE-2021-32818? CVE-2021-32818 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of haml-coffee are affected by CVE-2021-32818? haml-coffee (npm) versions <= 1.14.1 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-32818? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2021-32818 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
Is CVE-2021-32818 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-32818 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2021-32818 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2021-32818? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Validate and encode untrusted input before rendering it as HTML. Applying a Content Security Policy reduces the impact if encoding is bypassed.