Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-7FF4-JW48-3436

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-11-24 21:51 – Updated: 2025-11-27 07:58

Summary

OpenBao is Vulnerable to Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation

Details

Impact

Similar to HCSEC-2025-13 / CVE-2025-5999, a privileged operator could use the identity group subsystem to add a root policy to a group identity group, escalating their or another user's permissions in the system. Specifically this is an issue when:

An operator in the root namespace has access to identity/groups endpoints.
An operator does not have policy access.

Otherwise, an operator with policy access could create or modify an existing policy to grant root-equivalent permissions through the sudo capability.

Patches

Patched in version 2.4.4.

Workarounds

Users should audit the use of identity subsystem and deny operators access if it is not in use.

Severity

7.5 (High)


                  
                    CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Go",
        "name": "github.com/openbao/openbao"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "2.4.4"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2025-64761"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-266",
      "CWE-269"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2025-11-24T21:51:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at": "2025-11-25T01:15:46Z",
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "### Impact\n\nSimilar to HCSEC-2025-13 / CVE-2025-5999, a privileged operator could use the identity group subsystem to add a root policy to a group identity group, escalating their or another user\u0027s permissions in the system. Specifically this is an issue when:\n\n1. An operator in the root namespace has access to `identity/groups` endpoints.\n2. An operator does not have policy access.\n\nOtherwise, an operator with policy access could create or modify an existing policy to grant root-equivalent permissions through the `sudo` capability.\n\n### Patches\n\nPatched in version 2.4.4. \n\n### Workarounds\n\nUsers should audit the use of identity subsystem and deny operators access if it is not in use.",
  "id": "GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436",
  "modified": "2025-11-27T07:58:33Z",
  "published": "2025-11-24T21:51:18Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-64761"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/2143"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/16bb0ccd37a502930a289d434cbe4e7b4edd66e5"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/747a1378c2756f86296ad9450f74f6faeecc2eb7"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/releases/tag/v2.4.4"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "OpenBao is Vulnerable to Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation"
}

CVE-2025-64761 (GCVE-0-2025-64761)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-11-25 00:01 – Updated: 2026-02-26 16:07

Title

OpenBao Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation

Summary

OpenBao is an open source identity-based secrets management system. Prior to version 2.4.4, a privileged operator could use the identity group subsystem to add a root policy to a group identity group, escalating their or another user's permissions in the system. Specifically this is an issue when: an operator in the root namespace has access to identity/groups endpoints and an operator does not have policy access. Otherwise, an operator with policy access could create or modify an existing policy to grant root-equivalent permissions through the sudo capability. This issue has been patched in version 2.4.4.

Severity

7.5 (High)


                        
                          CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

SSVC

Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: total

CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)

Decision recorded 2025-11-26 04:55 UTC

CWE

CWE-266 - Incorrect Privilege Assignment

Assigner

GitHub_M mitre root

References

3 references

URL	Tags
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advis…	x_refsource_CONFIRM
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/2143	x_refsource_MISC
https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/16bb0cc…	x_refsource_MISC

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
openbao	openbao	Affected: < 2.4.4

Show details on NVD website

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-64761",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-11-26T04:55:24.284016Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-02-26T16:07:37.676Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "openbao",
          "vendor": "openbao",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 2.4.4"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "OpenBao is an open source identity-based secrets management system. Prior to version 2.4.4, a privileged operator could use the identity group subsystem to add a root policy to a group identity group, escalating their or another user\u0027s permissions in the system. Specifically this is an issue when: an operator in the root namespace has access to identity/groups endpoints and an operator does not have policy access. Otherwise, an operator with policy access could create or modify an existing policy to grant root-equivalent permissions through the sudo capability. This issue has been patched in version 2.4.4."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV4_0": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackRequirements": "PRESENT",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "baseScore": 7.5,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "HIGH",
            "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
            "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
            "version": "4.0",
            "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-266",
              "description": "CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2025-11-25T00:01:17.986Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/2143",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/2143"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/16bb0ccd37a502930a289d434cbe4e7b4edd66e5",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/openbao/openbao/commit/16bb0ccd37a502930a289d434cbe4e7b4edd66e5"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-7ff4-jw48-3436",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "OpenBao Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-64761",
    "datePublished": "2025-11-25T00:01:17.986Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-11-10T22:29:34.876Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-02-26T16:07:37.676Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

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