CVE-2025-6203

Vault unauthenticated denial of service through complex json payload

Published Aug 28, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
A malicious user may submit a specially-crafted complex payload that otherwise meets the default request size limit which results in excessive memory and CPU consumption of Vault. This may lead to a timeout in Vault’s auditing subroutine, potentially resulting in the Vault server to become unresponsive. This vulnerability, CVE-2025-6203, is fixed in Vault Community Edition 1.20.3 and Vault Enterprise 1.20.3, 1.19.9, 1.18.14, and 1.16.25.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-26143 HashiCorp Vault Community Edition Denial of Service Though Complex JSON Payloads
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-8f82-53h8-2p34 HashiCorp Vault Community Edition Denial of Service Though Complex JSON Payloads
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Hashicorp
Hashicorp vault
Hashicorp vault Enterprise
Vendors & Products Hashicorp
Hashicorp vault
Hashicorp vault Enterprise
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A malicious user may submit a specially-crafted complex payload that otherwise meets the default request size limit which results in excessive memory and CPU consumption of Vault. This may lead to a timeout in Vault’s auditing subroutine, potentially resulting in the Vault server to become unresponsive. This vulnerability, CVE-2025-6203, is fixed in Vault Community Edition 1.20.3 and Vault Enterprise 1.20.3, 1.19.9, 1.18.14, and 1.16.25.
Title Vault unauthenticated denial of service through complex json payload
Weaknesses CWE-770
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
HashiCorp
Published
Updated
Oct 23, 2025, 6:18 PM
Reserved
Jun 17, 2025, 1:39 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Aug 28, 2025, 8:15 PM
Modified
Sep 26, 2026, 12:10 AM
Severity
Important
Public date
Aug 28, 2025, 7:36 PM