CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2026-28228 — OpenOlat is an open source web-based e-learning platform for teaching, learning, assessment and communication

High CVSS 8.8

OpenOlat is an open source web-based e-learning platform for teaching, learning, assessment and communication. Prior to versions 19.1.31, 20.1.18, and 20.2.5, an authenticated user with the Author role can inject Velocity directives into a reminder email template. When the reminder is processed (either triggered manually or via the daily cron job), the injected directives are evaluated server-side. By chaining Velocity's #set directive with Java reflection, an attacker can instantiate arbitrary Java classes such as java.lang.ProcessBuilder and execute operating system commands with the privileges of the Tomcat process (typically root in containerized deployments). This issue has been patched in versions 19.1.31, 20.1.18, and 20.2.5.

Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Published
2026-03-30
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
java/maven
Weaknesses
CWE-1336

Affected products

  • frentix / openolat

Showing 1 representative product identities from 3 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

The detailed catalog view below loads this exact record, its source evidence, and the full seven-phase agentic change plan.