Skip to content

OpenBao Userpass and LDAP User Lockout Bypass

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Aug 8, 2025 in openbao/openbao • Updated Aug 8, 2025

Package

gomod github.com/openbao/openbao (Go)

Affected versions

>= 0.1.0, < 2.3.2
< 0.0.0-20250807212521-c52795c1ef74

Patched versions

2.3.2
0.0.0-20250807212521-c52795c1ef74

Description

Impact

Attackers could bypass the automatic user lockout mechanisms in the OpenBao Userpass or LDAP auth systems. This was caused by different aliasing between pre-flight and full login request user entity alias attributions.

Patches

OpenBao v2.3.2 will patch this issue.

Workarounds

Existing users may apply rate-limiting quotas on the authentication endpoints: https://openbao.org/api-docs/system/rate-limit-quotas/

References

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

References

@cipherboy cipherboy published to openbao/openbao Aug 8, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Aug 8, 2025
Reviewed Aug 8, 2025
Last updated Aug 8, 2025

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts

The product does not implement sufficient measures to prevent multiple failed authentication attempts within a short time frame, making it more susceptible to brute force attacks. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2025-54998

GHSA ID

GHSA-j3xv-7fxp-gfhx

Source code

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.