Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Authenticated limited-RBAC tenant (PR:L) exploits a network-reachable operator with no interaction; reading and exfiltrating other tenants' credentials crosses trust boundaries (S:C) with high confidentiality and downstream integrity impact, no availability effect.
Primary rating from Vendor (HashiCorp).
CVSS VectorVendor: HashiCorp
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
Vault Secrets Operator 1.3.0 up to 1.4.1 is vulnerable to an arbitrary file read and credential exfiltration issue in the AppRole authentication configuration that may allow a tenant with limited Kubernetes RBAC permissions to read files from the operator pod's filesystem and transmit their contents to a tenant-controlled endpoint, potentially leading to privilege escalation within the cluster. This vulnerability (CVE-2026-8715) is fixed in Vault Secrets Operator 1.5.0.
Articles & Coverage 1
AnalysisAI
Arbitrary file read in HashiCorp Vault Secrets Operator versions 1.3.0 through 1.4.1 lets a low-privileged Kubernetes tenant abuse the AppRole authentication's SecretIDPath configuration to read files from the operator pod's filesystem and exfiltrate their contents to an attacker-controlled endpoint, enabling privilege escalation across the cluster. Because the operator pod typically holds credentials and tokens spanning multiple tenants, a single limited-RBAC tenant can cross trust boundaries (CVSS scope change), yielding a 9.6 rating. …
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Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata
Vulnerability AssessmentAI
| Exploitation | Exploitation requires a multi-tenant Kubernetes cluster running Vault Secrets Operator 1.3.0-1.4.1 where the attacker holds limited Kubernetes RBAC sufficient to create or modify the AppRole authentication configuration (specifically the SecretIDPath field) processed by the operator. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment. |
| Risk Assessment | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N, 9.6 Critical) indicates a network-reachable, low-complexity attack requiring only limited privileges and no user interaction, with a scope change reflecting that one tenant's action compromises other tenants' or the operator's credentials. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in. |
| Exploit Scenario | A tenant holding only limited Kubernetes RBAC in a shared cluster creates or edits a VSO AppRole authentication resource, setting the SecretIDPath to traverse to a sensitive file (for example another tenant's token or a service-account credential) on the operator pod, and directs authentication toward a tenant-controlled endpoint. When the operator processes the configuration it reads the targeted file and transmits its contents to the attacker's endpoint, handing over credentials that enable privilege escalation across the cluster. … |
| Remediation | Vendor-released patch: upgrade Vault Secrets Operator to 1.5.0 or later, which remediates the arbitrary file read via the AppRole SecretIDPath, as documented in HashiCorp advisory HCSEC-2026-28 (https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2026-28-vault-secrets-operator-vulnerable-to-arbitrary-file-read-via-approle-secretidpath/77645). … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report. |
Recommended ActionAI
Within 24 hours: inventory all Vault Secrets Operator installations and confirm versions affected (1.3.0-1.4.1); disable or isolate AppRole SecretIDPath where possible. …
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-58400
GHSA-99cp-g9q7-3p6c