CVE-2026-33758: OpenBao has Reflected XSS in its OIDC authentication error message

Published Mar 26, 2026
·
Updated

Impact

OpenBao installations that have an OIDC/JWT authentication method enabled and a role with callbackmode=direct configured are vulnerable to XSS via the errordescription parameter on the page for a failed authentication.

This allows an attacker access to the token used in the Web UI by a victim.

Patches The errordescription parameter has been replaced with a static error message in v2.5.2

Workarounds The vulnerability can be mitigated by removing any roles with callbackmode set to direct.

Other sources

OpenBao is an open source identity-based secrets management system. Prior to version 2.5.2, OpenBao installations that have an OIDC/JWT authentication method enabled and a role with callbackmode=direct configured are vulnerable to XSS via the errordescription parameter on the page for a failed authentication. This allows an attacker access to the token used in the Web UI by a victim. The errordescription parameter has been replaced with a static error message in v2.5.2. The vulnerability can be mitigated by removing any roles with callbackmode set to direct.

MITRE

Affected Software

2 affected componentsFixes available
go/github.com/openbao/openbao<0.0.0-20260325133417-6e2b2dd84f0e
0.0.0-20260325133417-6e2b2dd84f0e
OpenBao OpenBao<2.5.2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade go/github.com/openbao/openbao to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.0.0-20260325133417-6e2b2dd84f0e
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade OpenBao to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.5.2
  3. Configuration

    Mitigate by removing any roles with `callback_mode=direct` so the failed authentication page no longer exposes an attacker-controlled `error_description` parameter.

    OpenBao OIDC/JWT authentication role callback_mode = not direct

Event History

Mar 26, 2026
Advisory Published
via GitHub·06:37 PM
Data Sourced
via GitHub·06:37 PM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software
Mar 27, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:12 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:12 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·03:04 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
RemedyAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-33758?

CVE-2026-33758 has a high severity rating due to its potential for reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-33758?

To fix CVE-2026-33758, update OpenBao to the version that is later than 0.0.0-20260325133417-6e2b2dd84f0e.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2026-33758?

CVE-2026-33758 affects OpenBao installations using OIDC/JWT authentication with `callback_mode=direct`.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-33758?

CVE-2026-33758 is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability.

5

What impact does CVE-2026-33758 have?

The impact of CVE-2026-33758 allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the affected user's session.

Contact

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