CVE-2023-5954: Github.com/hashicorp/vault HashiCorp Vault Missing Release Of Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4qhc-v8r6-8vwm
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-401
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-5954 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) hashicorp vault missing release of vulnerability (CWE-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime) affecting Github.com/hashicorp/vault libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves hashicorp vault missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.13.10, 1.14.6, 1.15.2.

CVE-2023-5954 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-5954
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4qhc-v8r6-8vwm
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
Affected Product Github.com/hashicorp/vault
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N/I:N/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 None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2023-5954

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: 1.13.10 
Upgrade github.com/hashicorp/vault to 1.13.10
github.com/hashicorp/vault fixed: 1.14.6 
Upgrade github.com/hashicorp/vault to 1.14.6
github.com/hashicorp/vault fixed: 1.15.2 
Upgrade github.com/hashicorp/vault to 1.15.2
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-2023-5954, 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 1.13.10), 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-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime, where the product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse. 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 inbound client requests triggering a policy check can lead to an unbounded consumption of memory. A large number of these requests may lead to denial-of-service. Fixed in Vault 1.15.2, 1.14.6, and 1.13.10.

CVE-2023-5954 Affected Github.com/hashicorp/vault Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.13.101.14.61.15.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/hashicorp/vault
golang/github.com/hashicorp/vault
Go
< 1.13.10
1.13.10
github.com/hashicorp/vault
golang/github.com/hashicorp/vault
Go
≥ 1.14.0
< 1.14.6
1.14.6
github.com/hashicorp/vault
golang/github.com/hashicorp/vault
Go
≥ 1.15.0
< 1.15.2
1.15.2

References

NVD — CVE-2023-5954 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5954
discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2023-33-vau... WEB
https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2023-33-vault-requests-triggering-policy-checks-may-lead-to-unbounded-memory-consumption/59926
Github.com/hashicorp/vault Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/hashicorp/vault
Github.com/hashicorp/vault Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231227-0001

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-5954?
CVE-2023-5954 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/hashicorp/vault involving HashiCorp Vault Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability under CWE-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime.
Which Github.com/hashicorp/vault versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.13.10, 1.14.6, 1.15.2 across affected packages: github.com/hashicorp/vault.
What version fixes CVE-2023-5954?
Upgrading to 1.13.10, 1.14.6, 1.15.2 (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 1.13.10, 1.14.6, 1.15.2. Upgrade your dependency to 1.13.10, 1.14.6, 1.15.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-5954?
CVE-2023-5954 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-5954?
CVE-2023-5954 is classified under CWE-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime (The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2023-5954?
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-4qhc-v8r6-8vwm",
  "modified" : "2023-11-17T22:01:34Z",
  "published" : "2023-11-09T21:30:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-5954" ],
  "summary" : "HashiCorp Vault Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability",
  "details" : "HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise inbound client requests triggering a policy check can lead to an unbounded consumption of memory. A large number of these requests may lead to denial-of-service. Fixed in Vault 1.15.2, 1.14.6, and 1.13.10.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/hashicorp/vault"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.13.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/hashicorp/vault"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.14.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.14.6"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/hashicorp/vault"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.15.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.15.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5954"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2023-33-vault-requests-triggering-policy-checks-may-lead-to-unbounded-memory-consumption/59926"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hashicorp/vault"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231227-0001"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-401" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-11-10T00:43:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-11-09T21:15:25Z"
  }
}