Executive brief
Apache Syncope, an open-source system for managing digital identities, contains a security flaw that could allow a high-level administrator to execute unauthorized code on the server. By creating a specially crafted script, an attacker with administrative access can bypass security restrictions to run commands outside of the intended protected environment. This could lead to a full takeover of the identity management system and access to sensitive user data.
Technical details
An improper isolation vulnerability (CWE-653) exists in Apache Syncope's handling of Groovy implementations. While Groovy scripts are generally sandboxed, the static initializer of a Groovy class was not subject to the same restrictions. An attacker with administrative privileges ('Implementations' entitlements) can define a malicious Groovy class where the static initializer contains code that executes in a non-sandboxed path. This allows for post-authentication Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the underlying host. The vulnerability is addressed in versions 4.0.6 and 4.1.1 by ensuring static initializers are also executed within the sandbox.
Affected products
- Apache Syncope 3.0 through 3.0.16, 4.0 through 4.0.5, 4.1.0
Timeline
- 2026-05-25: disclosed
- 2026-05-25: advisory: NVD and Apache mailing list publication
- 2026-05-26: advisory: GitHub Advisory published