Unauthorized namespace management via root canonicalization
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Improper authorization in OpenBao before 2.5.5 allows remote authenticated users to manage a containing namespace via a root path. The system backend checks ACLs before canonicalization turns the literal root segment into an empty path, so /sys/namespaces/root resolves to the directly containing namespace. Exploitation requires namespace-management capabilities in a non-root namespace and permits only granted lookup, deletion, locking, or metadata operations on that direct namespace; the root and unrelated namespaces remain unaffected.
Summary
What happened
Improper authorization in OpenBao before 2.5.5 allows remote authenticated users to manage a containing namespace via a root path. The system backend checks ACLs before canonicalization turns the literal root segment into an empty path, so /sys/namespaces/root resolves to the directly containing namespace. Exploitation requires namespace-management capabilities in a non-root namespace and permits only granted lookup, deletion, locking, or metadata operations on that direct namespace; the root and unrelated namespaces remain unaffected.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-55775
- Published
- Sep 15, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 15, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenBao
- Product
- OpenBao
- Classifications
- CWE-285, T1485
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 2.5.5
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- Namespace root-path proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo