CVE-2025-65998: Apache Syncope Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-65998 Overview

A hardcoded cryptographic key vulnerability has been identified in Apache Syncope, an open-source system for managing digital identities. When Apache Syncope is configured to store user password values in the internal database using AES encryption (a non-default option), the application uses a default encryption key that is hard-coded in the source code. This allows a malicious attacker who gains access to the internal database content to decrypt and reconstruct the original cleartext password values.

Critical Impact

Attackers with database access can decrypt user passwords using the hard-coded AES key, potentially leading to credential theft, unauthorized access, and identity compromise across systems where users reuse passwords.

Affected Products

• Apache Syncope versions prior to 3.0.15
• Apache Syncope versions 4.x prior to 4.0.3
• Any Apache Syncope deployment configured with AES password encryption

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-24 - CVE-2025-65998 published to NVD
• 2025-11-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-65998

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-321 (Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key), a critical cryptographic weakness that undermines the fundamental security properties that encryption is meant to provide. When Apache Syncope is configured to use AES encryption for storing user passwords in the internal database, the implementation relies on a static encryption key embedded directly in the application's source code.

The security implication is significant: any attacker who obtains a copy of the database (through SQL injection, backup theft, insider threat, or other data breach methods) can readily decrypt all stored passwords. Since the key is part of the open-source codebase, it is publicly known, rendering the encryption effectively useless as a security control. This issue specifically affects password storage when AES encryption is enabled and does not impact encrypted plain attributes, which use a separate encryption mechanism.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the use of a hard-coded default AES encryption key within the Apache Syncope source code. Rather than requiring administrators to configure a unique, securely generated encryption key during deployment, the application defaults to a static key value when AES password encryption is enabled. This design flaw means all installations using this feature share the same encryption key, violating a fundamental principle of cryptographic security that keys must be secret and unique per deployment.

Attack Vector

The attack vector requires network access to the target system, as indicated by the network-based attack classification. An attacker would first need to gain access to the Apache Syncope internal database through methods such as:

1. Database Compromise: Exploiting a separate vulnerability such as SQL injection to extract database contents
2. Backup Theft: Obtaining database backups from improperly secured storage locations
3. Insider Access: A malicious insider with legitimate database access privileges
4. Cloud Misconfigurations: Exposed database instances due to cloud infrastructure misconfigurations

Once database access is obtained, the attacker can extract the AES-encrypted password values. Using the publicly known hard-coded key from the Apache Syncope source code, the attacker decrypts the password hashes to recover plaintext credentials. These credentials can then be used for account takeover attacks, lateral movement, or credential stuffing attacks against other services where users may have reused passwords.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-65998

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns targeting password storage tables in the Syncope schema
• Unexpected database access from unauthorized IP addresses or service accounts
• Evidence of database exports or bulk data extraction operations
• Authentication anomalies indicating the use of compromised credentials

Detection Strategies

• Audit Apache Syncope configuration files to determine if AES password encryption is enabled
• Review database access logs for suspicious query patterns against user credential tables
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect bulk extraction of encrypted password fields
• Monitor for new authentication attempts using previously dormant or compromised accounts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive database audit logging for all access to sensitive credential tables
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity to detect and alert on anomalous database access patterns
• Implement network monitoring for data exfiltration attempts from database servers
• Configure alerting for authentication events using credentials that may have been compromised

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-65998

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Syncope to version 3.0.15 or 4.0.3 immediately to address this vulnerability
• Audit your Apache Syncope configuration to determine if AES password encryption is currently enabled
• If AES encryption was in use, force password resets for all users after upgrading
• Review database access logs for any historical signs of unauthorized access

Patch Information

Apache has released security patches in versions 3.0.15 and 4.0.3 that address this hard-coded encryption key vulnerability. Users running Apache Syncope 3.x should upgrade to version 3.0.15 or later, while users on the 4.x branch should upgrade to version 4.0.3 or later. Detailed patch information is available in the Apache Mailing List Discussion and the OpenWall OSS Security Update.

Workarounds

• If immediate upgrade is not possible, disable AES password encryption and use the default password storage mechanism
• Implement additional database access controls to restrict access to credential tables
• Deploy network segmentation to isolate database servers from untrusted network segments
• Enable database encryption at rest using infrastructure-level encryption with properly managed keys
• Implement robust monitoring and alerting for any database access to password storage tables