CVE-2025-5999
Description
A flaw was found in github.com/hashicorp/vault. This vulnerability allows a privileged Vault operator with write access to the root namespace’s identity endpoint to manipulate token privileges, effectively elevating another user’s token to the Vault root policy. This privilege escalation occurs through crafted writes to the identity endpoint. An attacker can obtain unauthorized root access to the Vault system, allowing complete control over the Vault instance.
Statement
This vulnerability is Important rather than Moderate because it enables direct privilege escalation to the Vault root policy, granting unrestricted administrative control over the entire Vault environment. While the attacker must already have write access to the root namespace’s identity endpoint, that permission alone does not normally confer root-level authority—this flaw breaks the intended privilege separation model. By exploiting it, an attacker can craft malicious writes to the identity endpoint to bind their own or another user’s token to the root policy, bypassing all policy restrictions. With root access, the attacker can exfiltrate every stored secret, modify or delete sensitive data, disable audit logs to cover tracks, and introduce persistent backdoors.
Mitigation
Until you can upgrade to a fixed release, mitigation options include applying Sentinel EGP policies to prevent assignment of the root policy via the identity API, and closely monitoring Vault audit logs for tokens with "identity_policies": ["root"].
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.2 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | High | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
A user can access restricted functionality and/or sensitive information that may include administrative functionality and user accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
