CVE-2025-6037Network attack vector

User impersonation via unchecked certificate common name

Published Aug 1, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

Improper certificate validation in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise allows remote authenticated users to impersonate trusted users. The certificate auth method accepts a new client certificate with an arbitrary common name instead of matching that name to the configured trusted non-CA certificate. Exploitation requires a trusted non-CA certificate and its private key, and grants the impersonated entity’s policies and group memberships.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper certificate validation in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise allows remote authenticated users to impersonate trusted users. The certificate auth method accepts a new client certificate with an arbitrary common name instead of matching that name to the configured trusted non-CA certificate. Exploitation requires a trusted non-CA certificate and its private key, and grants the impersonated entity’s policies and group memberships.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-6037
Published
Aug 1, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
HashiCorp
Product
Vault
Classifications
CWE-295, T1649
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.20.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

HashiCorp · Vaultversion=0 <1.20.1
HashiCorp · Vault Enterpriseversion=0 <1.20.1 changes=[{"at":"1.19.7","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"1.18.12","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"1.16.23","status":"unaffected"}]

Published CVSS scores

6.8GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-295Improper Certificate Validation
T1649Steal or Forge Authentication Certificates

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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