Skip to content
Heist/ feed
Back to feed
Critical

OpenBao: Privileged Operator May Execute Code on the Underlying Host

Type: advisorySources: OSV

OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 2.3.1 and below, some OpenBao deployments intentionally limit privileged API operators from executing system code or making network connections. However, these operators can bypass both restrictions through the audit subsystem by manipulating log prefixes. This allows unauthorized code execution and network access that violates the intended security model. This issue is fixed in version 2.3.2. To workaround, users can block access to sys/audit/* endpoints using explicit deny policies, but root operators cannot be restricted this way.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2025-54997
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
5 Nov 2026, 23:53 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

OpenBao: Privileged Operator May Execute Code on the Underlying Host

core-osv · Original source

Published 9 Aug 2025, 01:56 UTC

OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 2.3.1 and below, some OpenBao deployments intentionally limit privileged API operators from executing system code or making network connections. However, these operators can bypass both restrictions through the audit subsystem by manipulating log prefixes. This allows unauthorized code execution and network access that violates the intended security model. This issue is fixed in version 2.3.2. To workaround, users can block access to sys/audit/* endpoints using explicit deny policies, but root operators cannot be restricted this way.

osv:CVE-2025-54997
Complete source record
{
  "id": "3036d61f1bd2869bf0df9be7fdd1f4f3c605f0bf519ed275f0402612c90d438a",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-54997",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "OpenBao: Privileged Operator May Execute Code on the Underlying Host",
    "summary": "OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 2.3.1 and below, some OpenBao deployments intentionally limit privileged API operators from executing system code or making network connections. However, these operators can bypass both restrictions through the audit subsystem by manipulating log prefixes. This allows unauthorized code execution and network access that violates the intended security model. This issue is fixed in version 2.3.2. To workaround, users can block access to sys/audit/* endpoints using explicit deny policies, but root operators cannot be restricted this way.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2025-54997",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "critical",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2025-54997",
      "aliases": [
        "BIT-openbao-2025-54997",
        "CVE-2025-54997",
        "GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp",
        "GO-2025-3858"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "b1a68f558c89d18d38fbb8675bb6fc1d90b71e98"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "2.3.2"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
                    "strategy": "StringRangeExpression"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "b1a68f558c89d18d38fbb8675bb6fc1d90b71e98"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_TAG",
                    "original_tag": "v2.3.2"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:openbao:openbao:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "2.3.2"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v2.3.1",
            "v2.3.0",
            "sdk/v2.3.1",
            "api/v2.3.1",
            "api/auth/userpass/v2.3.1",
            "api/auth/ldap/v2.3.1",
            "api/auth/kubernetes/v2.3.1",
            "api/auth/approle/v2.3.1",
            "v2.3.0-beta20250528",
            "sdk/v2.3.0",
            "api/v2.3.0",
            "api/auth/userpass/v2.3.0",
            "api/auth/ldap/v2.3.0",
            "api/auth/kubernetes/v2.3.0",
            "api/auth/approle/v2.3.0",
            "dev-namespaces-base-20250424",
            "dev-namespaces-base-20250311",
            "v2.2.0-beta20250213",
            "dev-namespaces-base-20250215",
            "sdk/v2.2.0",
            "api/v2.2.0",
            "api/auth/userpass/v2.2.0",
            "api/auth/ldap/v2.2.0",
            "api/auth/kubernetes/v2.2.0",
            "api/auth/approle/v2.2.0",
            "v2.1.0-beta20241114.3",
            "v2.1.0-beta20241114.2",
            "v2.1.0-beta20241114.1",
            "v2.1.0-beta20241114",
            "sdk/v2.1.0",
            "api/v2.1.0",
            "v2.0.0",
            "sdk/v2.0.1",
            "api/v2.0.1",
            "api/auth/userpass/v2.0.1",
            "api/auth/ldap/v2.0.1",
            "api/auth/kubernetes/v2.0.1",
            "api/auth/approle/v2.0.1",
            "v2.0.0-beta20240618",
            "sdk/v1.100.0-development20240408",
            "api/v1.100.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/userpass/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/ldap/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/kubernetes/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/gcp/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/azure/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/aws/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "api/auth/approle/v1.1.0-development20240408",
            "v2.0.0-alpha20240329",
            "before-plugin-removal",
            "api/auth/userpass/v0.4.1",
            "api/auth/gcp/v0.4.1",
            "api/auth/azure/v0.4.1",
            "api/auth/aws/v0.4.1",
            "api/auth/approle/v0.4.1",
            "sdk/v0.9.1",
            "api/v1.9.2",
            "api/v1.9.1",
            "sdk/v0.9.0",
            "api/auth/userpass/v0.4.0",
            "api/auth/gcp/v0.4.0",
            "api/auth/azure/v0.4.0",
            "api/auth/aws/v0.4.0",
            "api/auth/approle/v0.4.0",
            "sdk/v0.8.0",
            "api/v1.9.0",
            "api/v1.8.3",
            "sdk/v0.7.0",
            "sdk/v0.6.2",
            "sdk/v0.6.1",
            "api/v1.8.2",
            "api/v1.8.1",
            "api/auth/userpass/v0.3.0",
            "api/auth/gcp/v0.3.0",
            "api/auth/azure/v0.3.0",
            "api/auth/aws/v0.3.0",
            "api/auth/approle/v0.3.0",
            "api/v1.8.0",
            "sdk/v0.6.0",
            "api/auth/userpass/v0.2.0",
            "api/auth/gcp/v0.2.0",
            "api/auth/azure/v0.2.0",
            "api/auth/aws/v0.2.0",
            "api/auth/approle/v0.2.0",
            "sdk/v0.5.3",
            "api/v1.7.2",
            "sdk/v0.5.1",
            "api/v1.7.1",
            "api/v1.7.0",
            "api/v1.6.0",
            "sdk/v0.5.0",
            "api/v1.5.0",
            "sdk/v0.4.1",
            "api/v1.3.1",
            "api/auth/approle/v0.1.1",
            "api/auth/gcp/v0.1.0",
            "api/auth/azure/v0.1.0",
            "api/auth/userpass/v0.1.0",
            "api/auth/aws/v0.1.0",
            "api/auth/approle/v0.1.0",
            "sdk/v0.3.0",
            "api/v1.2.0",
            "api/v1.1.1",
            "sdk/v0.2.1",
            "api/v1.0.4",
            "sdk/v0.1.13",
            "api/v1.0.3",
            "sdk/v0.1.12",
            "sdk/v0.1.11",
            "sdk/v0.1.10",
            "api/v1.0.2",
            "sdk/v0.1.9",
            "api/v1.0.1",
            "sdk/v0.1.8"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2025-54997.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:45.484695804Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-14-privileged-vault-operator-may-execute-code-on-the-underlying-host/76033",
        "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.3.2",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/54xxx/CVE-2025-54997.json",
        "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-54997",
        "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/1634"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-94"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/54xxx/CVE-2025-54997.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2025-54997",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 513242,
  "published_at": "2025-08-09T01:56:45.634+00:00"
}