CVE-2021-38553
HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
CVE-2021-38553- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 2.1 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-281
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
CVE-2021-38553- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-1503 No score
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
EUVD-2021-1503- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r
HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
GHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-281
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
CVE-2021-38553- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r
HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
GHSA-23fq-q7hc-993r- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-281
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-vault-2021-38553 No score
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.4.0 through 1.7.3 initialized an underlying database file associated with the Integrated Storage feature with excessively broad filesystem permissions. Fixed in Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.0.
- Record
BIT-vault-2021-38553- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGO-2022-0620 No score
HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0 in github.com/hashicorp/vault
HashiCorp Vault underlying database had excessively broad filesystem permissions from v1.4.0 until v1.8.0 in github.com/hashicorp/vault
- Record
GO-2022-0620- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
github.com/hashicorp/vaultGo |
1.4.0 up to 1.8.0 | 1.8.0 |
vaultBitnami |
1.4.0 up to 1.8.0 | 1.8.0 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-38553 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.4) in Hashicorp Vault, published August 13, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.27%, the 19th percentile. Fixed in github.com/hashicorp/vault 1.8.0.