CVE-2025-54996

OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges

Published Aug 9, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 7.2 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
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.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-24038 OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-vf84-mxrq-crqc OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Openbao
Openbao openbao
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:openbao:openbao:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Openbao
Openbao openbao
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Openbao Project
Openbao Project openbao
Vendors & Products Openbao Project
Openbao Project openbao
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
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.
Title OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges
Weaknesses CWE-269
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.2, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Aug 11, 2025, 1:53 PM
Reserved
Aug 4, 2025, 5:34 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Aug 9, 2025, 2:15 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 9:41 AM