CVE-2025-65998
Apache Syncope: Default AES key used for internal password encryption
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
7.5
Apache Syncope: Default AES key used for internal password encryption
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.
- Record
CVE-2025-65998- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-321
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-198717
7.5
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.
- Record
EUVD-2025-198717- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j
7.5
Apache Syncope's AES encryption stores hard-coded passwords in internal database
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.
- Record
GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-321
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
7.5
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.
- Record
CVE-2025-65998- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-321
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
7.5
Apache Syncope: Default AES key used for internal password encryption
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.
- Record
CVE-2025-65998- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-321
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j
7.5
Apache Syncope's AES encryption stores hard-coded passwords in internal database
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.
- Record
GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-321
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
org.apache.syncope:syncope-coreMaven |
4.0.0 up to 4.0.3 | 4.0.3 |
org.apache.syncope:syncope-coreMaven |
before 3.0.15 | 3.0.15 |
org.apache.syncope:syncope-coreMaven |
4.0.0 up to 4.0.3, plus listed versions 4.0.14.0.2 |
4.0.3 |
org.apache.syncope:syncope-coreMaven |
before 3.0.15, plus listed versions 1.0.0-RC1-incubating1.0.0-RC2-incubating1.0.0-RC3-incubating1.0.0-incubating1.0.1-incubating Show 45 moreShow less1.0.2-incubating1.0.3-incubating1.0.41.0.51.0.61.0.71.0.81.0.91.1.01.1.11.1.21.1.31.1.41.1.51.1.61.1.71.1.81.2.01.2.0-M11.2.11.2.101.2.111.2.21.2.31.2.41.2.51.2.61.2.71.2.81.2.92.0.02.0.0-M12.0.0-M22.0.0-M32.0.0-M42.0.0.M52.0.12.0.102.0.112.0.122.0.132.0.142.0.152.0.162.0.2 |
3.0.15 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-65998 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Apache Syncope, published November 24, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.53%, the 44th percentile. Fixed in org.apache.syncope:syncope-core 4.0.3.
References
lists.apache.org/thread/fjh0tb0d1xkbphc5ogdsc348ppz88cts
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/11/24/1
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-65998
github.com/apache/syncope/commit/297498ebfc86e4996f5e3e4ef7b7f8b1cd82004b
github.com/apache/syncope/commit/9d706af25d2e60327b8b5b63186f9da51ed79a1d
github.com/advisories/GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j
repo.maven.apache.org/maven2
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/65xxx/CVE-2025-65998.json
github.com/apache/syncope
Left out here: 40 versions. The JSON record has them.