CVE-2025-54996: Github.com/openbao/openbao OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2025-54996 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.2) openbao root namespace operator may vulnerability (CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment) affecting Github.com/openbao/openbao libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves openbao root namespace operator may elevate token privileges. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.3.2, 0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345f.
CVE-2025-54996 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.2
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2025-54996
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.
Upgrade github.com/openbao/openbao to 2.3.2Upgrade github.com/openbao/openbao to 0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345fRun the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for github.com/openbao/openbaoHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-54996, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/openbao/openbao:
inspect dependencies for github.com/openbao/openbaoAnalyze 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 2.3.2), 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
CVE-2025-54996 Affected Github.com/openbao/openbao Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
github.com/openbao/openbao
|
Go |
≥ 0.1.0
< 2.3.2
|
2.3.2
|
|
github.com/openbao/openbao
|
Go |
< 0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345f
|
0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345f
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-54996?
Which Github.com/openbao/openbao versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2025-54996?
Is github.com/openbao/openbao affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-54996?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-54996?
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2025-54996?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-vf84-mxrq-crqc",
"modified" : "2025-08-11T13:56:25Z",
"published" : "2025-08-08T14:32:42Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-54996" ],
"summary" : "OpenBao Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges",
"details" : "### Impact\n\nAccounts with access to the highly-privileged identity entity system in the root namespace may increase their scope directly to the `root` policy. While the identity system always allowed adding arbitrary policies, which in turn could contain capability grants on arbitrary paths, the `root` policy is restricted to manual generation using unseal or recovery key shares. The global `root` policy is not accessible from child namespaces.\n\n### Patches\n\nOpenBao v2.3.2 will patch this issue.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nUse of `denied_parameters` in any policy which has access to the affected identity endpoints (on [identity entities](https://openbao.org/api-docs/secret/identity/entity/)) may be sufficient to prohibit this type of attack. \n\n### References\n\nThis issue was disclosed to HashiCorp and is the OpenBao equivalent of the following tickets:\n\n- https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-13-vault-root-namespace-operator-may-elevate-token-privileges/76032\n- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/cve-2025-5999",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "github.com/openbao/openbao"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.1.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.3.2"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "github.com/openbao/openbao"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.0.0-20250806193240-9b0b5d4f345f"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-vf84-mxrq-crqc"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-54996"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/1627"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/9b0b5d4f345fdfb1065956f042b12cbd86cd6e0f"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-13-vault-root-namespace-operator-may-elevate-token-privileges/76032"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.3.2"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/cve-2025-5999"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-266", "CWE-269" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2025-08-08T14:32:42Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2025-08-09T02:15:37Z"
}
}