# CVE-2025-65998: Apache Syncope: Default AES key used for internal password encryption

> Attackers with database access can decrypt user passwords due to a hardcoded AES key when internal password encryption is enabled.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Nov 2025
- **Updated:** 24 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jqg8-m35q-jh7j

## What is CVE-2025-65998?

CVE-2025-65998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Syncope, published on 24 Nov 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-321 (Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-65998?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.syncope:syncope-core. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.syncope:syncope-core` | Maven | All versions | 3.0.15 |
| `org.apache.syncope:syncope-core` | Maven | All versions | 3.0.15 |
| `org.apache.syncope:syncope-core` | Maven | From 4.0.0 | 4.0.3 |
| `org.apache.syncope:syncope-core` | Maven | From 4.0.0 | 4.0.3 |

Products: Apache Syncope.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-65998?

Upgrade org.apache.syncope:syncope-core to a fixed version for your release line: 3.0.15 or 4.0.3.

## Is CVE-2025-65998 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-65998 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Syncope

- [CVE-2026-53405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53405/): Apache Syncope: Remote Code Execution via Flowable BPMN Groovy ScriptTask (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-53421](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53421/): Apache Syncope: Remote Code Execution via Scripted Connector (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-57308](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-57308/): Apache Syncope: SQL injection vulnerability in Audit Events search (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-62183](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-62183/): Apache Syncope: User self-service privilege escalation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-63071](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63071/): Apache Syncope: RCE via Groovy Sandbox bypass (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-65998 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-65998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Syncope, published on 24 Nov 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-65998 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.syncope:syncope-core (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.0.15
- org.apache.syncope:syncope-core (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.0.15
- org.apache.syncope:syncope-core (Maven): affected from 4.0.0; fixed in 4.0.3
- org.apache.syncope:syncope-core (Maven): affected from 4.0.0; fixed in 4.0.3

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-65998/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-65998/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-65998
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-65998
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-65998

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-65998/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.