---
title: "CVE-2025-54997: Privileged OpenBao Operator May Execute Code on the Underlying Host"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-54997/
description: "CVE-2025-54997 (github.com/openbao/openbao (Go)): OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-08-09
date_modified: 2025-08-11
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-54997"
kev: false
cvss: 9.1
epss: 0.004
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

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

**Signal:** Critical, preconditions apply. Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- 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.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/openbao/openbao` >= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2 → fixed: 2.3.2
- Go `github.com/openbao/openbao` < 0.0.0-20250806194004-a14053c9679d → fixed: 0.0.0-20250806194004-a14053c9679d

## Affected products (CVE record)

- openbao openbao: < 2.3.2

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- 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.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-54997](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-54997)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-54997](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-54997)
- [github.com](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-xp75-r577-cvhp)
- [github.com](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/1634)
- [discuss.hashicorp.com](https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-14-privileged-vault-operator-may-execute-code-on-the-underlying-host/76033)
- [github.com](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.3.2)
- [nvd.nist.gov](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-6000)
- [github.com](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/a14053c9679d6e9cf370f00cf933476cda6d84a2)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-54997/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt