External risk intelligence

Apache Syncope SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2026-77051

Apache Syncope is an identity management platform. While it often manages internal identity stores, it can be deployed as an internet-facing gateway or portal for user self-service, registration, or delegated authentication, making external reachability possible depending on the specific architectural deployment.

SQL Injection

Halo Surface Signal: 3 out of 5 — possibly public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

This critical vulnerability impacts Apache Syncope, an identity management system. The flaw allows an authenticated administrator to execute arbitrary SQL commands by exploiting specific parameters, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or manipulation. The main concern is confirming relevance and exposure within your deployed instances.

SQL injection flaw in identity management software.
Affects administrative access and data integrity.
Confirm if your Syncope instances are affected.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to a web-facing Apache Syncope instance. If the instance is configured to allow administrative actions or if an attacker can impersonate an administrator, they can leverage the `entityKey` and `opEvent` parameters. By injecting SQL commands through these parameters, an attacker could potentially manipulate or exfiltrate data from the underlying database.

Requires network access and administrative privileges.
Triggered by unsanitized `entityKey` and `opEvent` parameters.
Enables arbitrary SQL execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL commands by exploiting unsanitized parameters in Apache Syncope. This could lead to unauthorized access to or modification of data within the system.

System or user data could be exposed.
Via unsanitized entityKey and opEvent parameters.
Unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This SQL injection vulnerability in Apache Syncope, affecting multiple versions, requires immediate attention from the platform or infrastructure teams responsible for Syncope's deployment. The first step is to identify all Syncope instances, determine their reachability and business criticality, and locate the accountable owner for each. Remediation planning should then be prioritized based on these findings.

Platform or infrastructure teams own the issue.
Verify Syncope reachability and business criticality.
Plan remediation based on identified risks.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Apache Syncope and what is it used for?

Apache Syncope is an open-source identity and access management platform. Organizations use it to manage user identities, define access rights across enterprise systems, and streamline self-service registration or authentication processes. It acts as a central hub for identity lifecycle management, often sitting between various applications and a foundational database that stores sensitive user and permission data.

What does CVE-2026-77051 mean in plain English?

This CVE describes an SQL Injection vulnerability, which falls under the CWE-89 weakness class. Essentially, the software fails to properly clean or validate input provided by users. Because of this, an attacker can insert their own database commands into specific fields. If processed by the system, these injected commands run directly against the database, potentially allowing unauthorized viewing, changing, or deletion of the stored identity data.

How is this SQL injection vulnerability triggered?

An attacker triggers this flaw by sending specifically crafted requests to the application that target the 'entityKey' and 'opEvent' parameters. Successful execution requires the attacker to have administrative-level entitlements within the system to interact with these specific parameters. Simply accessing the application without these administrative permissions or using legitimate, non-malicious input will not trigger the SQL injection.

How does Halo Surface Signal categorize this threat's relevance?

Halo Surface Signal notes that while Apache Syncope often resides internally, its reachability depends on how you have deployed it. If your instance is configured as an internet-facing gateway or portal for user self-service, it is more exposed. Because the attack vector is network-based, you should prioritize reviewing any instances that are accessible from outside your local network.

What are the first steps for managing this CVE?

Begin by identifying all running instances of Apache Syncope within your environment to determine which versions are in use. Once you have an inventory, confirm the network reachability of each instance and identify the team responsible for maintenance. Since a fix is available, prioritize scheduling an upgrade to version 4.0.8 or 4.1.3, which resolves the unsanitized parameter issues.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.