CVE-2021-38553

Service interruption via overpermissive database-file creation

Published Aug 13, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Improper file permissions in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 allow local users to interrupt service by deleting vault.db. Integrated Storage initialization creates the BoltDB-backed file at the configured Raft path with permissions influenced by the host umask instead of enforcing restrictive access. Exploitation requires code execution on a Vault node and an Integrated Storage cluster; barrier encryption protects stored secrets, but file deletion can deny service.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.27%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper file permissions in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 allow local users to interrupt service by deleting vault.db. Integrated Storage initialization creates the BoltDB-backed file at the configured Raft path with permissions influenced by the host umask instead of enforcing restrictive access. Exploitation requires code execution on a Vault node and an Integrated Storage cluster; barrier encryption protects stored secrets, but file deletion can deny service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-38553
Published
Aug 13, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-281, T1485
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 13, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

4.4NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.4HashiCorpCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
9.8GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
2.1NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-281Improper Preservation of Permissions
T1485Data Destruction

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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