Summary
Twig: templatefromstring() escapes a SourcePolicy-driven sandbox via synthesized template name
Description
When the sandbox is enabled selectively via SourcePolicyInterface (and not globally), a sandboxed template that is allowed to call template_from_string and include can render an arbitrary inner template with no security policy enforcement.
Environment::createTemplate() compiles the inner string under a synthesized name (__string_template__<hash>), so a name/path-based SourcePolicy returns false for it, and the inner template's checkSecurity() becomes a no-op. From a template the integrator believes is sandboxed, an attacker can use any tag/filter/function (including constant() to read secrets, or |map("system") to execute shell commands).
Resolution
This is a configuration trap rather than a code bug: there is no legitimate use case for exposing template_from_string to untrusted template authors, and propagating the parent sandbox state through template_from_string would require invasive changes to SourcePolicyInterface semantics with their own risks.
Starting with Twig 3.26.0, the documentation and the PHPDoc of StringLoaderExtension::templateFromString() explicitly warn against allowing template_from_string in a sandboxed environment (i.e. listing it in a SecurityPolicy allowed-functions list). Integrators using a SourcePolicyInterface MUST NOT allow template_from_string in their allowed functions; the safest option is not to register StringLoaderExtension at all when a sandbox is in use.
Credits
Twig would like to thank Claude Mythos Preview (via Project Glasswing) for reporting the issue.
Impact
Affected versions
Security releases
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-46634? CVE-2026-46634 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in twig/twig (composer), affecting versions >= 3.9.0, < 3.26.0. It is fixed in 3.26.0.
- Which versions of twig/twig are affected by CVE-2026-46634? twig/twig (composer) versions >= 3.9.0, < 3.26.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-46634? Yes. CVE-2026-46634 is fixed in 3.26.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-46634 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-46634 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-2026-46634 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-2026-46634? Upgrade
twig/twigto 3.26.0 or later.