OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges
Description
OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 2.3.1 and below, accounts with access to highly-privileged identity entity systems in root namespaces were able to increase their scope directly to the root policy. While the identity system allowed adding arbitrary policies, which in turn could contain capability grants on arbitrary paths, the root policy was restricted to manual generation using unseal or recovery key shares. The global root policy was not accessible from child namespaces. This issue is fixed in version 2.3.2. To workaround this vulnerability, use of denied_parameters in any policy which has access to the affected identity endpoints (on identity entities) may be sufficient to prohibit this type of attack.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Affected packages
Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.
| Package | Affected versions | Patched versions |
|---|---|---|
github.com/openbao/openbaoGo | >= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2 | 2.3.2 |
github.com/openbao/openbaoGo | < 0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345f | 0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345f |
Affected products
6- ghsa-coords5 versionspkg:golang/github.com/openbao/openbaopkg:rpm/opensuse/govulncheck-vulndb&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/govulncheck-vulndb&distro=openSUSE%20Tumbleweedpkg:rpm/opensuse/openbao&distro=openSUSE%20Tumbleweedpkg:rpm/suse/govulncheck-vulndb&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Package%20Hub%2015%20SP6
>= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2+ 4 more
- (no CPE)range: >= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2
- (no CPE)range: < 0.0.20250814T182633-150000.1.98.1
- (no CPE)range: < 0.0.20250811T192933-1.1
- (no CPE)range: < 2.3.2-1.1
- (no CPE)range: < 0.0.20250814T182633-150000.1.98.1
Patches
Vulnerability mechanics
References
8- github.com/advisories/GHSA-vf84-mxrq-crqcghsaADVISORY
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-54996ghsaADVISORY
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/cve-2025-5999ghsaADVISORY
- discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-13-vault-root-namespace-operator-may-elevate-token-privileges/76032ghsaWEB
- github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/9b0b5d4f345fdfb1065956f042b12cbd86cd6e0fghsaWEB
- github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/1627ghsax_refsource_MISCWEB
- github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.3.2ghsax_refsource_MISCWEB
- github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-vf84-mxrq-crqcghsax_refsource_CONFIRMWEB
News mentions
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