# CVE-2026-115365: OpenBao policy cache incorrect authorization via namespace traversal

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115365-openbao-from-2-3-0-before-2-6-3-contains-an-incorrect  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-22. Updated: 2026-10-22  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-115365 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.6 · Published 2026-10-22

OpenBao is a secrets management and policy enforcement platform used by organizations to control access to sensitive credentials and data. A flaw in its ACL policy cache allows attackers with valid tokens to bypass namespace boundaries and access policies they shouldn't have permissions for, potentially gaining unauthorized access to secrets and sensitive resources across the entire system.

Technologies: [OpenBao](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/openbao). Vendors: [OpenBao](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/openbao).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-115365 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-115365 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-115365?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.6, published 22 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** OpenBao 2.3.0 through 2.6.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-115365?** Yes: fixed in OpenBao 2.6.3, 2.7.0. Until then: Set disable_cache = true in the server configuration to disable the ACL policy cache, though this will significantly impact performance. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-115365 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-115365?** Check whether you run OpenBao at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in OpenBao 2.6.3, 2.7.0

Set disable_cache = true in the server configuration to disable the ACL policy cache, though this will significantly impact performance.

## Technical details

An incorrect authorization vulnerability in OpenBao's ACL policy cache (CWE-863) allows tokens with specially crafted policy names to reference and inherit capabilities from policies in arbitrary namespaces via namespace traversal. The attacker must hold a valid token and the target policies must be present in the in-memory LRU cache at both token creation and use time; capabilities are granted within the referencing token's namespace, enabling cross-namespace privilege escalation including to the root namespace.

## Affected products

- OpenBao OpenBao 2.3.0 through 2.6.2

## Timeline

- 2026-09-23: disclosed: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-10-22: advisory: CVE-2026-115365 published

## References

- [https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-mjch-vcw3-hhmf](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/security/advisories/GHSA-mjch-vcw3-hhmf)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openbao-2.3.0-before-2.6.3-incorrect-authorization-via-policy-cache-namespace-traversal](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openbao-2.3.0-before-2.6.3-incorrect-authorization-via-policy-cache-namespace-traversal)

## Related threats

- [OpenBao ACL bypass in policy denial evaluation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115361-openbao-before-2-6-3-contains-an-acl-bypass-vulnerability-that)
- [OpenBao Kubernetes Auth token renewal on revoked credentials](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115356-openbao-before-2-6-4-and-2-7-x-before-2-7-1-does-not-verify-when)
- [OpenBao recovery mode timing attack token leakage](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-63132-openbao-recovery-mode-timing-attack-token-leakage)
- [OpenBao authorization bypass in policy enforcement for LIST operations](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-63131-openbao-authorization-bypass-in-policy-enforcement-for-list)
- [OpenBao templated policies privilege escalation via wildcard characters](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-71543-openbao-templated-policies-privilege-escalation-via-wildcard)