SyncopeApplication · Apache
CVE-2018-17186
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 · uneditedAn administrator with workflow definition entitlements can use DTD to perform malicious operations, including but not limited to file read, file write, and code execution.
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 an XML DTD (Document Type Definition) injection vulnerability affecting administrators with workflow definition entitlements. Attackers can abuse DTD processing to perform XXE-style attacks enabling file read, file write, and remote code execution on the underlying system.
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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 orWAR manifest (typically in the deployed syncope.war or via the /syncope/rest/users/self endpoint)Affected if Installed version falls within 2.0.0-2.0.11 or 2.1.0-2.1.2
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Verify workflow definition entitlement existsCheck if the current user or any user role has workflow definition entitlements (entitlement 'workflow' or 'workflowDef') granted in the Syncope administration console under Users > Roles or through the /syncope/rest/role endpointAffected if Any user role includes workflow definition entitlements and the affected version is present
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Confirm XML workflow definition upload capabilityInspect whether the workflow definition upload/modification feature is accessible via the UI (Workflow Definitions tab) or REST API at /syncope/rest/workflow - verify if the POST/PUT endpoints accept XML contentAffected if Workflow definition modification is permitted and XML can be submitted
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Check XML parser configuration for DTD processingReview the Syncope deployment configuration (such as the spring-beans.xml, web.xml, or parser bean definitions) to determine if the XML parser has FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING disabled or if external entity processing is enabledAffected if XML parser permits external DTD processing and workflow definitions can accept untrusted XML input
Environment is affected if running a vulnerable Apache Syncope version (2.0.0-2.0.11 or 2.1.0-2.1.2) AND users with workflow definition entitlements can submit or modify XML workflow definitions with DTD processing enabled.
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 dataDisable external DTD processing in XML parsers and review/restrict workflow definition entitlements to only essential administrative users; apply vendor security patches when available.
Fix this in Syncope
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-17186 — 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-2018-17186 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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