Apache Syncope's AES encryption stores hard-coded passwords in internal database

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

7.5 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2025-65998: 0.53% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 44.80 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

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.

Published by the source

24 Nov 2025, 15:30 UTC

Last modified by the source

25 Nov 2025, 14:14 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:41 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2025-65998

Advisory: Apache Syncope's AES encryption stores hard-coded passwords in internal database
IDs: CVE-2025-65998, GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2025-65998 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:41 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: org.apache.syncope:syncope-core 4.0.3, 3.0.15. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven org.apache.syncope:syncope-core: affected >= 4.0.0, < 4.0.3; < 3.0.15; fixed in 3.0.15, 4.0.3

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven org.apache.syncope:syncope-core: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on org.apache.syncope:syncope-core.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j lists affected ranges: Maven org.apache.syncope:syncope-core >=4.0.0 =0 <3.0.15)

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