CVE-2025-55001

Workarounds

LDAP methods are only vulnerable if using username_as_alias=true. Remove all usage of this parameter and update any entity aliases accordingly.

References

This issue was disclosed to HashiCorp and is the OpenBao equivalent of the following tickets:

• https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-20-vault-ldap-mfa-enforcement-bypass-when-using-username-as-alias/76092
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-6013

OpenBao allows assignment of policies and MFA attribution based upon entity aliases, chosen by the underlying auth method. When using the username_as_alias=true parameter in the LDAP auth method, the caller-supplied username is used verbatim without normalization, allowing an attacker to bypass alias-specific MFA requirements.

CVE-2025-55001 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, high privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.3.2, 0.0.0-20250807212521-c52795c1ef74); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

OpenBao v2.3.2 will patch this issue.

1. What is CVE-2025-55001? CVE-2025-55001 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/openbao/openbao (go), affecting versions >= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2. It is fixed in 2.3.2, 0.0.0-20250807212521-c52795c1ef74.
2. How severe is CVE-2025-55001? CVE-2025-55001 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of github.com/openbao/openbao are affected by CVE-2025-55001? github.com/openbao/openbao (go) versions >= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-55001? Yes. CVE-2025-55001 is fixed in 2.3.2, 0.0.0-20250807212521-c52795c1ef74. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2025-55001 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-55001 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2025-55001 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2025-55001?
   • Upgrade github.com/openbao/openbao to 2.3.2 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/openbao/openbao to 0.0.0-20250807212521-c52795c1ef74 or later