CVE-2026-3605: Github.com/hashicorp/vault HashiCorp Vault Has A KVv2 Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m2w4-8ggf-rj47
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-288
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-3605 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) hashicorp vault has a kvv2 vulnerability (CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel) affecting Github.com/hashicorp/vault libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves hashicorp vault has a kvv2 metadata and secret deletion policy bypass that leads to denial-of-service. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-3605 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-3605
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m2w4-8ggf-rj47
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
Affected Product Github.com/hashicorp/vault
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-3605

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: Latest secure release 
Upgrade github.com/hashicorp/vault to Latest secure release
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-2026-3605, 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 the patched release), 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-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel, where the product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication. 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

An authenticated user with access to a kvv2 path through a policy containing a glob may be able to delete secrets they were not authorized to read or write, resulting in denial-of-service. This vulnerability did not allow a malicious user to delete secrets across namespaces, nor read any secret data. Fixed in Vault Community Edition 2.0.0 and Vault Enterprise 2.0.0, 1.21.5, 1.20.10, and 1.19.16.

CVE-2026-3605 Affected Github.com/hashicorp/vault Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/hashicorp/vault
golang/github.com/hashicorp/vault
Go
≥ 0.10.0
≤ 1.21.4

References

NVD — CVE-2026-3605 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-3605
discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2026-05-vau... WEB
https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2026-05-vault-kvv2-metadata-and-secret-deletion-policy-bypass-denial-of-service/77342
Github.com/hashicorp/vault Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/hashicorp/vault

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-3605?
CVE-2026-3605 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/hashicorp/vault involving HashiCorp Vault has a KVv2 Metadata and Secret Deletion Policy Bypass that leads to Denial-of-Service under CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel.
Which Github.com/hashicorp/vault versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: github.com/hashicorp/vault.
What version fixes CVE-2026-3605?
Upgrading to current release patches (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 Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-3605?
CVE-2026-3605 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-3605?
CVE-2026-3605 is classified under CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-3605?
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-m2w4-8ggf-rj47",
  "modified" : "2026-04-18T00:51:48Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-17T06:31:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-3605" ],
  "summary" : "HashiCorp Vault has a KVv2 Metadata and Secret Deletion Policy Bypass that leads to Denial-of-Service",
  "details" : "An authenticated user with access to a kvv2 path through a policy containing a glob may be able to delete secrets they were not authorized to read or write, resulting in denial-of-service. This vulnerability did not allow a malicious user to delete secrets across namespaces, nor read any secret data. Fixed in Vault Community Edition 2.0.0 and Vault Enterprise 2.0.0, 1.21.5, 1.20.10, and 1.19.16.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/hashicorp/vault"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.10.0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.21.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-3605"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2026-05-vault-kvv2-metadata-and-secret-deletion-policy-bypass-denial-of-service/77342"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hashicorp/vault"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-288" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-18T00:51:47Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-17T04:16:03Z"
  }
}