dbcve.org
SyncopeApplication · Apache

CVE-2026-53405

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.0.7 / 4.1.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click 4 weeks old

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 · unedited
Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization vulnerability in Apache Syncope. An administrator with adequate entitlements can import arbitrary BPMN process definitions via the REST API and then start the process. When a BPMN process containing a Groovy scriptTask is imported and started, the Groovy script is executed directly on the server, with no sandbox. 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 wrapping Flowable's Groovy scriptTasks with security sandbox.

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 confidence

Apache Syncope allows administrators to import BPMN process definitions via REST API. When a BPMN process containing a Groovy scriptTask is imported and executed, the Groovy script runs directly on the server without any security sandbox, allowing arbitrary code execution with server privileges.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache Syncope version 4.0.7 or 4.1.2, which implements a security sandbox around Flowable's Groovy scriptTasks. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict BPMN import privileges and monitor for unauthorized process imports.

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
Affected:>= 3.0.0, <= 3.0.16>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.7>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.2

CVSS 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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache Syncope version
    Locate the Syncope installation and check the version file or startup logs for the exact version number (for example, check version.properties, pom.xml in the installation directory, or the admin console about page)
    Affected if The installed version falls within 3.0.0 to 3.0.16, 4.0.0 to 4.0.6, or 4.1.0 to 4.1.1
  2. Confirm REST API is accessible
    Verify that the Apache Syncope REST endpoints are exposed and accessible (typically at /syncope/rest/ or similar path); check the deployed web application configuration and network exposure settings
    Affected if The REST API is publicly or internally accessible without additional authentication restrictions beyond admin credentials
  3. Verify BPMN process import capability
    Determine if the BPMN workflow engine (Flowable) is enabled and if the REST endpoint for importing BPMN definitions (such as /syncope/rest/bpmn/processes or /bpm/process/definition) is available in the deployment
    Affected if Flowable/BPMN features are enabled and the BPMN process definition import REST endpoint exists and responds to requests
  4. Check for Groovy scriptTask usage
    Inspect any deployed BPMN process definitions for scriptTask elements that use Groovy as the script language (look for <scriptTask ... scriptFormat="groovy"> in .bpmn20.xml or .bpmn files)
    Affected if Groovy-based scriptTasks are present in imported or deployed BPMN definitions and the script execution is not sandboxed (versions prior to the fix lack the security sandbox)

You are affected if your Apache Syncope version is 3.0.0 through 3.0.16, 4.0.0 through 4.0.6, or 4.1.0 through 4.1.1, and the BPMN process import REST API is accessible with administrative privileges.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.0.7 / 4.1.2 or later
Fixed in 4.0.74.1.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache Syncope version 4.0.7 or 4.1.2, which implements a security sandbox around Flowable's Groovy scriptTasks. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict BPMN import privileges and monitor for unauthorized process imports.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.0.7 or 4.1.2

  1. 1. Back up the current Apache Syncope installation, configuration files, and database
  2. 2. Download Apache Syncope version 4.0.7 or 4.1.2 from the official Apache distribution repository
  3. 3. Stop the currently running Apache Syncope service
  4. 4. Replace the existing Syncope application files with the new version files
  5. 5. Review and update any configuration files if required based on the release notes
  6. 6. Start the upgraded Apache Syncope service
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade by logging into the admin console and confirming BPMN process functionality works correctly
  8. 8. Test that BPMN processes with Groovy scriptTasks now execute within the security sandbox

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Syncope Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,080
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,928.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-53405 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-53405 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data