CVE-2025-52894: OpenBao Vulnerable to Unauthenticated Rekey Operation Cancellation
Impact
OpenBao and HashiCorp Vault allowed an attacker to perform unauthenticated, unaudited cancellation of root rekey and recovery rekey operations, effecting a denial of service.
Patches
In OpenBao v2.2.2 and later, manually setting the configuration option disableunauthedrekeyendpoints=true allows an operator to deny these rarely-used endpoints on global listeners.
In a future OpenBao release communicated on our website, we will set this to true for all users and provide an authenticated alternative.
This vulnerability has been disclosed to HashiCorp; see their website for more information.
Workarounds
If an active proxy or load balancer sits in front of OpenBao, an operator can deny requests to these endpoints from unauthorized IP ranges.
References
See the deprecation notice.
Other sources
OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. OpenBao before v2.3.0 allowed an attacker to perform unauthenticated, unaudited cancellation of root rekey and recovery rekey operations, effecting a denial of service. In OpenBao v2.2.0 and later, manually setting the configuration option disableunauthedrekeyendpoints=true allows an operator to deny these rarely-used endpoints on global listeners. A patch is available at commit fe75468822a22a88318c6079425357a02ae5b77b. In a future OpenBao release communicated on OpenBao's website, the maintainers will set this to true for all users and provide an authenticated alternative. As a workaround, if an active proxy or load balancer sits in front of OpenBao, an operator can deny requests to these endpoints from unauthorized IP ranges.
— NVD
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-52894?
CVE-2025-52894 has been classified as a critical vulnerability due to its potential for unauthenticated access to sensitive data management functions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-52894?
To fix CVE-2025-52894, update OpenBao to version 2.2.2 or later to mitigate the risk of unauthorized root rekey and recovery rekey operations.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2025-52894?
Exploitation of CVE-2025-52894 could allow an attacker to cancel critical rekey operations without authentication, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Which versions of OpenBao are affected by CVE-2025-52894?
OpenBao versions prior to 2.2.2 are affected by CVE-2025-52894.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2025-52894?
There are no recommended workarounds for CVE-2025-52894; upgrading to the latest version is the only solution.