Apache Syncope can be configured to store the user password values in the internal database with AES encryption, though this is not the default option.

When AES is configured, the default key value, hard-coded in the source code, is always used. This allows a malicious attacker, once obtained access to the internal database content, to reconstruct the original cleartext password values.
This is not affecting encrypted plain attributes, whose values are also stored using AES encryption.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.0.15 / 4.0.3, which fix this issue.
Advisories
Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j Apache Syncope's AES encryption stores hard-coded passwords in internal database
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Apache
Apache syncope
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:apache:syncope:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Apache
Apache syncope

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Apache Syncope can be configured to store the user password values in the internal database with AES encryption, though this is not the default option. When AES is configured, the default key value, hard-coded in the source code, is always used. This allows a malicious attacker, once obtained access to the internal database content, to reconstruct the original cleartext password values. This is not affecting encrypted plain attributes, whose values are also stored using AES encryption. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.0.15 / 4.0.3, which fix this issue.
Title Apache Syncope: Default AES key used for internal password encryption
Weaknesses CWE-321
References

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: apache

Published:

Updated: 2025-11-24T15:36:14.583Z

Reserved: 2025-11-19T08:09:02.428Z

Link: CVE-2025-65998

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2025-11-24T15:04:26.790Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2025-11-24T14:15:48.417

Modified: 2025-11-26T14:30:26.730

Link: CVE-2025-65998

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.