CVE-2021-38553: Github.com/hashicorp/vault HashiCorp Vault Underlying Database Had Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-281
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-38553 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) hashicorp vault underlying database had vulnerability (CWE-281: Improper Preservation of Permissions) affecting Github.com/hashicorp/vault libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves hashicorp vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.8.0.

CVE-2021-38553 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-38553
GHSA Identifier GHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-281: Improper Preservation of Permissions
Affected Product Github.com/hashicorp/vault
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-38553

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/hashicorp/vault dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/hashicorp/vault fixed: 1.8.0 
Upgrade github.com/hashicorp/vault to 1.8.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for github.com/hashicorp/vault

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-38553, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/hashicorp/vault:

inspect dependencies for github.com/hashicorp/vault

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/hashicorp/vault in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.8.0), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-281: Improper Preservation of Permissions, where the product does not preserve permissions or incorrectly preserves permissions when copying, restoring, or sharing objects, which can cause them to have less restrictive permissions than intended. In Github.com/hashicorp/vault, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.

CVE-2021-38553 Affected Github.com/hashicorp/vault Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.8.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/hashicorp/vault
golang/github.com/hashicorp/vault
Go
≥ 1.4.0
< 1.8.0
1.8.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-38553 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38553
discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2021-20-vau... WEB
https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2021-20-vault-s-integrated-storage-backend-database-file-may-have-excessively-broad-permissions/28168
Github.com/hashicorp/vault Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/hashicorp/vault
Github.com/hashicorp/vault Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202207-01

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-38553?
CVE-2021-38553 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/hashicorp/vault involving HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0 under CWE-281: Improper Preservation of Permissions.
Which Github.com/hashicorp/vault versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.8.0 across affected packages: github.com/hashicorp/vault.
What version fixes CVE-2021-38553?
Upgrading to 1.8.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/hashicorp/vault affected?
Yes, github.com/hashicorp/vault is affected in releases prior to 1.8.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.8.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-38553?
CVE-2021-38553 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-38553?
CVE-2021-38553 is classified under CWE-281: Improper Preservation of Permissions (The product does not preserve permissions or incorrectly preserves permissions when copying, restoring, or sharing objects, which can cause them to have less restrictive permissions than intended.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2021-38553?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/hashicorp/vault'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r",
  "modified" : "2022-08-11T21:57:44Z",
  "published" : "2021-08-30T17:22:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-38553" ],
  "summary" : "HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0",
  "details" : "HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/hashicorp/vault"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.4.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38553"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2021-20-vault-s-integrated-storage-backend-database-file-may-have-excessively-broad-permissions/28168"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hashicorp/vault"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202207-01"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-281" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-08-30T17:16:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-08-13T16:15:00Z"
  }
}