SyncopeApplication · Apache
CVE-2018-17184
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA malicious user with enough administration entitlements can inject html-like elements containing JavaScript statements into Connector names, Report names, AnyTypeClass keys and Policy descriptions. When another user with enough administration entitlements edits one of the Entities above via Admin Console, the injected JavaScript code is executed.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in an admin console application where authenticated administrators can inject malicious JavaScript code into entity fields (Connector names, Report names, AnyTypeClass keys, and Policy descriptions). When other administrators subsequently edit these entities, the stored JavaScript executes in their browser session.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
SyncopeApplication
>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.11>= 2.1.0, < 2.1.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Apache Syncope versionLocate the Syncope installation and check the version file or WAR manifest. Common locations: the WAR file name (syncope-${version}.war), a version.properties file, or the /actuator/info endpoint if enabled.Affected if Installed version is >= 2.0.0 and < 2.0.11, OR >= 2.1.0 and < 2.1.2
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Verify AdminUI component is deployedConfirm the admin console web application (typically syncope-admin-ui.war or the admin console servlet) is deployed and accessible on the configured admin port.Affected if Admin console is accessible and version is in the affected range from step 1
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Inspect stored entity fields for XSS payloadsQuery the Syncope database or use the admin console to examine Connector names, Report names, AnyTypeClass keys, and Policy descriptions for suspicious content such as <script> tags, javascript: URLs, event handlers (onload, onerror, etc.), or encoded payloads.Affected if Any of these fields contain unsanitized HTML or JavaScript code that could execute in a browser
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Review admin console audit logsExamine Syncope audit logs or request logs for entries showing injection attempts in the affected fields. Look for patterns like <script, javascript:, or HTML tags in Connector, Report, AnyTypeClass, or Policy name/description parameters.Affected if Logs contain records of malicious script injection attempts in the affected entity types
A user is affected if Apache Syncope version is 2.0.0-2.0.10 or 2.1.0-2.1.1, the admin console is accessible, and any Connector name, Report name, AnyTypeClass key, or Policy description contains unsanitized JavaScript or HTML code.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data2.0.112.1.2
Implement strict input validation and output encoding/sanitization on all admin console input fields to strip HTML and JavaScript tags before storage and before rendering. Apply context-appropriate encoding when displaying these values in edit interfaces.
Fix this in Syncope
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-17184 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-17184 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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