Apache Syncope RCE via Groovy in connectors (pre-4.1.2)
CVE-2026-53421 Published on July 20, 2026

Apache Syncope: Remote Code Execution via Scripted Connector
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.

Vendor Advisory NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-53421 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be critical as this vulnerability has a high impact to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of this component.

Attack Vector:
NETWORK
Attack Complexity:
LOW
Privileges Required:
NONE
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
HIGH
Integrity Impact:
HIGH
Availability Impact:
HIGH

Weakness Type

What is a Separation of Privilege Vulnerability?

The product does not sufficiently compartmentalize functionality or processes that require different privilege levels, rights, or permissions. When a weakness occurs in functionality that is accessible by lower-privileged users, then without strong boundaries, an attack might extend the scope of the damage to higher-privileged users.

CVE-2026-53421 has been classified to as a Separation of Privilege vulnerability or weakness.


Products Associated with CVE-2026-53421

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Apache Syncope
 

Affected Versions

Apache Software Foundation Apache Syncope:

Exploit Probability

EPSS
0.53%
Percentile
41.85%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.