Vault Root Namespace Operator May Elevate Token Privileges
Priority LOW 34CWE-266Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-266.
Summary
A privileged Vault operator with write permissions to the root namespace’s identity endpoint could escalate their own or another user’s token privileges to Vault’s root policy. Fixed in Vault Community Edition 1.20.0 and Vault Enterprise 1.20.0, 1.19.6, 1.18.11 and 1.16.22.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00534 45th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Vault (HashiCorp): 1.20.0Vault Enterprise (HashiCorp): 1.20.0+1 more productRed Hat: 1 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HashiCorp | Vault | 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 | 1.20.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| HashiCorp | Vault Enterprise | 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 | 1.20.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/hashicorp/vault (Go) | 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 | 1.20.0 | Patch available | GHSA-6h4p-m86h-hhgh |
- Vault VendorHashiCorp Affected 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 Fixed in 1.20.0 Patch available CNA
- Vault Enterprise VendorHashiCorp Affected 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 Fixed in 1.20.0 Patch available CNA
- github.com/hashicorp/vault (Go) Vendor— Affected 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 Fixed in 1.20.0 Patch available GHSA-6h4p-m86h-hhgh
CPE configurations NVD · 3
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:* | 0.10.4 to before 1.16.22 | Vulnerable | HashiCorp |
| cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:-:*:*:* | 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 | Vulnerable | HashiCorp |
| cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:* | 1.17.0 to before 1.18.11; 1.19.0 to before 1.19.6 | Vulnerable | HashiCorp |
- cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:* Versions 0.10.4 to before 1.16.22 Vulnerable ·HashiCorp
- cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:-:*:*:* Versions 0.10.4 to before 1.20.0 Vulnerable ·HashiCorp
- cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:* Versions 1.17.0 to before 1.18.11; 1.19.0 to before 1.19.6 Vulnerable ·HashiCorp
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Vault (HashiCorp) Fixed in 1.20.0
- Fix · CNA Vault Enterprise (HashiCorp) Fixed in 1.20.0
- Fix · GHSA-6h4p-m86h-hhgh github.com/hashicorp/vault (Go) Fixed in 1.20.0 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4
- Red Hat Trusted Artifact Signer
- external secrets operator for Red Hat OpenShift - Tech Preview
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-5999
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-6h4p-m86h-hhgh
References
More HashiCorp Vault vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-01904 Vault Cert Auth Method Did Not Correctly Validate Non-CA Certificates CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-19053 An issue was discovered in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise before 1.11.3. CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2020-17874 The official vault docker images before 0.11.6 contain a blank password for a root user. CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-10142 HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 and 1.4.1, when configured with the GCP… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-04407 Vault Vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery in ACME Challenge Validation via Attacker-Controlled DNS CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2025-05421 Arbitrary Remote Code Execution via Plugin Catalog Abuse CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
Sources
- CVE-2025-5999 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-5999 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-6h4p-m86h-hhgh · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-5999 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences