CVE-2025-64761: Github.com/openbao/openbao OpenBao Is Vulnerable To Privileged Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436
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CWE-266 CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-64761 is a HIGH openbao is vulnerable to privileged vulnerability (CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment) affecting Github.com/openbao/openbao libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves openbao is vulnerable to privileged operator identity group root escalation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.4.4.

CVE-2025-64761 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-64761
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment
Affected Product Github.com/openbao/openbao
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2025-64761

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/openbao/openbao 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/openbao/openbao fixed: 2.4.4 
Upgrade github.com/openbao/openbao to 2.4.4
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/openbao/openbao

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-64761, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/openbao/openbao:

inspect dependencies for github.com/openbao/openbao

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/openbao/openbao in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.4.4), 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-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment, where a product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Github.com/openbao/openbao, 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

### Impact Similar to HCSEC-2025-13 / CVE-2025-5999, a privileged operator could use the identity group subsystem to add a root policy to a group identity group, escalating their or another user's permissions in the system. Specifically this is an issue when: 1. An operator in the root namespace has access to `identity/groups` endpoints. 2. An operator does not have policy access. Otherwise, an operator with policy access could create or modify an existing policy to grant root-equivalent permissions through the `sudo` capability. ### Patches Patched in version 2.4.4. ### Workarounds Users should audit the use of identity subsystem and deny operators access if it is not in use.

CVE-2025-64761 Affected Github.com/openbao/openbao Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.4.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/openbao/openbao
golang/github.com/openbao/openbao
Go
< 2.4.4
2.4.4

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436
NVD — CVE-2025-64761 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-64761
Github.com/openbao/openbao Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/2143
Github.com/openbao/openbao Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openbao/openbao
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/16bb0ccd37a502930a289d434cbe4e7b4edd66e5
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/747a1378c2756f86296ad9450f74f6faeecc2eb7
Github.com/openbao/openbao Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.4.4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-64761?
CVE-2025-64761 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/openbao/openbao involving OpenBao is Vulnerable to Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation under CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment.
Which Github.com/openbao/openbao versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.4.4 across affected packages: github.com/openbao/openbao.
What version fixes CVE-2025-64761?
Upgrading to 2.4.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/openbao/openbao affected?
Yes, github.com/openbao/openbao is affected in releases prior to 2.4.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.4.4 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-64761?
CVE-2025-64761 is classified under CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment (A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2025-64761?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/openbao/openbao'. 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-7ff4-jw48-3436",
  "modified" : "2025-11-27T07:58:33Z",
  "published" : "2025-11-24T21:51:18Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-64761" ],
  "summary" : "OpenBao is Vulnerable to Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nSimilar to HCSEC-2025-13 / CVE-2025-5999, a privileged operator could use the identity group subsystem to add a root policy to a group identity group, escalating their or another user's permissions in the system. Specifically this is an issue when:\n\n1. An operator in the root namespace has access to `identity/groups` endpoints.\n2. An operator does not have policy access.\n\nOtherwise, an operator with policy access could create or modify an existing policy to grant root-equivalent permissions through the `sudo` capability.\n\n### Patches\n\nPatched in version 2.4.4. \n\n### Workarounds\n\nUsers should audit the use of identity subsystem and deny operators access if it is not in use.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/openbao/openbao"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.4.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-64761"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/2143"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/16bb0ccd37a502930a289d434cbe4e7b4edd66e5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/747a1378c2756f86296ad9450f74f6faeecc2eb7"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.4.4"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-266", "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-11-24T21:51:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-11-25T01:15:46Z"
  }
}