CVE-2026-5051Network attack vector

Audit data exposure via legacy path fallback

Published Jul 1, 2026 · Updated Jul 1, 2026

HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise affected releases allow remote authenticated users to expose audit data through file audit path traversal. The audit guard validates file_path against plugin_directory, but the file backend falls back to legacy path without applying that check. Exploitation requires high privileges, a configured plugin directory, and a file audit device using only path; it redirects audit output into a sensitive plugin location.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.38%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise affected releases allow remote authenticated users to expose audit data through file audit path traversal. The audit guard validates file_path against plugin_directory, but the file backend falls back to legacy path without applying that check. Exploitation requires high privileges, a configured plugin directory, and a file audit device using only path; it redirects audit output into a sensitive plugin location.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-5051
Published
Jul 1, 2026
Updated
Jul 1, 2026
Vendor
HashiCorp
Product
Vault
Classifications
CWE-22
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 1, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 1, 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=1.20.1 <2.0.1 changes=[{"at":"1.20.11","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"1.21.6","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"2.0.1","status":"unaffected"}]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

HashiCorp · Vaultversion=1.20.1 <2.0.1 changes=[{"at":"1.20.11","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"1.21.6","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"2.0.1","status":"unaffected"}]
HashiCorp · Vault Enterpriseversion=1.19.0 <2.0.1 changes=[{"at":"1.19.17","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"1.20.11","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"1.21.6","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"2.0.1","status":"unaffected"}]

Published CVSS scores

4.4HashiCorp Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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