CVE-2025-54997: Privileged OpenBao Operator May Execute Code on the Underlying Host

Should you act?

Critical, preconditions apply

Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 0.4%, percentile 33: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 33% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Needs an account (high (admin)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/openbao/openbao (Go) >= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2, fixed in 2.3.2; github.com/openbao/openbao (Go) < 0.0.0-20250806194004-a14053c9679d, fixed in 0.0.0-20250806194004-a14053c9679d. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

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.

From the GitHub advisory

Impact

Under certain threat models, OpenBao operators with privileged API access may not be system administrators and thus normally lack the ability to update binaries or execute code on the system. Additionally, privileged API operators should be unable to perform TCP connections to arbitrary hosts in the environment OpenBao is executing within. The API-driven audit subsystem granted privileged API operators the ability to do both with an attacker-controlled log prefix. Access to these endpoints should be restricted.

Patches

OpenBao v2.3.2 will patch this issue.

Workarounds

Weakness type: CWE-94.

Product: github.com/openbao/openbao (Go) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2025-08-09

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: high (admin)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: changed (can affect other components)

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.40% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 33.

Timeline

• 2025-08-08 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp published (critical)
• 2025-08-09 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2025-08-11 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2025-54997 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2025-54997 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com
3. discuss.hashicorp.com discuss.hashicorp.com
4. github.com github.com
5. nvd.nist.gov nvd.nist.gov
6. github.com github.com

Critical Go advisories · Today’s Security Digest