Description
Path traversal vulnerability in Apache FreeMarker template loading mechanism, if the attacker can specify an arbitrary malformed locale identifier to FreeMarker, and the localized lookup configuration setting is enabled (it's by default enabled).
This issue affects Apache FreeMarker from 2.2.0 through 2.3.34.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.3.35. Disabling localized lookup in previous versions also mitigates this.
Note that even in versions affected by this vulnerability, the files that can be loaded remain restricted by the TemplateLoader that FreeMarker is configured to use. In particular, FileTemplateLoader prevents attempts to traverse outside the baseDir specified in its constructor. Other TemplateLoader implementations may allow access outside their designated base directory, but they are still constrained by the underlying storage mechanism—for example, a loader wrapping a Java class loader can only access resources that the class loader can load, while one wrapping a web application context can only access resources available through that context.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation | Apache FreeMarker | 2.2.0 – ≤ 2.3.34 | 2.3.35 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 13 | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | libfreemarker-java | No fix yet | — |
Wolfi
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfi rolling | keycloak-26.6 +1 | 26.6.7-r3 | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.freemarker:freemarker | >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.35 | 2.3.35 | GHSA-27j2-h3m2-8237 |
Advisories 2
- WID-SEC-2026-4090 Oracle Communications: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 11, 2026
- NCSC-2026-0444 Kwetsbaarheden verholpen in Oracle Communications NCSC-NL (Netherlands) · Oct 21, 2026
References
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/hrd7o2ylwkkswdyhyzllgqt0f80kyd5y vendor-advisory