VulnerabilityPublished 20 Oct 2025Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2025-57738: Apache Syncope · Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization

Affects Apache SyncopeSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · 23% EPSS · CVSS 7.2 High · fixed in 3.0.14 : patch Apache Syncope soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.2High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 23.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 97% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 3.0.14

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: High: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide significant (e.g., administrative) control over the vulnerable component that could affect component-wide settings and files.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Oct 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Mavenorg.apache.syncope/syncope-core`pkg:maven/org.apache.syncope/syncope-core`Other threats	Affected =2.1 =3.0 =4.0	Fixed in–

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AI-suggested

1. Upgrade Apache Syncope to versions 3.0.14 or 4.0.2 or later, which implement sandboxing for Groovy code execution to prevent arbitrary code injection. 2. Restrict administrative privileges strictly to trusted personnel and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all admin accounts. 3. Conduct regular audits of administrative activities and monitor for unusual Groovy script deployments or runtime behaviors within Syncope. 4. Implement network segmentation to limit access to Syncope Core instances, reducing exposure to potential attackers. 5. Employ application-level monitoring and logging to detect anomalous code execution patterns or privilege escalations. 6. Review and harden Groovy script usage policies, disabling or limiting runtime reload features if not essential. 7. Keep all related software dependencies and the underlying Java runtime environment up to date to minimize attack surface. 8. Develop and test incident response plans specific to identity management compromise scenarios.

Description

Apache Syncope offers the ability to extend / customize the base behavior on every deployment by allowing to provide custom implementations of a few Java interfaces; such implementations can be provided either as Java or Groovy classes, with the latter being particularly attractive as the machinery is set for runtime reload. Such a feature has been available for a while, but recently it was discovered that a malicious administrator can inject Groovy code that can be executed remotely by a running Apache Syncope Core instance. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.0.14 / 4.0.2, which fix this issue by forcing the Groovy code to run in a sandbox.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-57738 is substantial, especially for those relying on Apache Syncope for identity and access management. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive identity data, manipulation of user credentials, and disruption of authentication services. This could cascade into broader network compromise, data breaches, and operational downtime. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications that depend on robust identity management are particularly vulnerable. The compromise of administrative accounts could facilitate lateral movement within networks, undermining security postures and regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR). Additionally, the ability to execute code remotely without user interaction increases the risk of rapid exploitation once administrative credentials are obtained. The lack of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high severity necessitates urgent action to prevent potential attacks.

Summary

Apache Syncope is an open-source identity management system that allows customization through user-provided Java or Groovy implementations, with Groovy scripts being reloadable at runtime. CVE-2025-57738 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-653 (Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization) discovered in Apache Syncope versions 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0. The root cause is the absence of sandboxing for Groovy code execution, which permits a malicious administrator to inject arbitrary Groovy scripts that execute remotely on the Syncope Core server. This flaw enables an attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to full system compromise including data theft, unauthorized modifications, or denial of service. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require high-level privileges, making insider threats or compromised admin accounts particularly dangerous. The Apache Software Foundation addressed this issue in versions 3.0.14 and 4.0.2 by enforcing sandbox restrictions on Groovy code execution, preventing malicious scripts from escaping their intended execution context. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.2 reflects a high severity due to network exploitability, low attack complexity, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, but the potential impact on identity management systems is significant given their critical role in access control and authentication.

CWE-653Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessOWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product does not properly compartmentalize or isolate functionality, processes, or resources that require different privilege levels, rights, or permissions.
Architecture and Design
Break up privileges between different modules, objects, or entities. Minimize the interfaces between modules and require strong access control between them.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 22:09 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-653

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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