# CVE-2025-55003: OpenBao Login MFA Bypasses Rate Limiting and TOTP Token Reuse

> Attackers can bypass MFA rate limiting and reuse TOTP codes in OpenBao due to whitespace normalization flaws, compromising authentication security.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 11 Aug 2025
- **Also known as:** BIT-openbao-2025-55003, GHSA-rxp7-9q75-vj3p, GO-2025-3856

## What is CVE-2025-55003?

CVE-2025-55003 is a medium-severity vulnerability in openbao, published on 9 Aug 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 2.3.1 and below, OpenBao's Login Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) system allows enforcing MFA using Time-based One Time Password (TOTP). Due to normalization applied by the underlying TOTP library, codes were accepted which could contain whitespace; this whitespace could bypass internal rate limiting of the MFA method and allow reuse of existing MFA codes. This issue was fixed in version 2.3.2. To work around this, use of rate-limiting quotas can limit an attacker's ability to exploit this: https://openbao.org/api-docs/system/rate-limit-quotas/.

Weakness: CWE-307 (Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-55003?

6 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/openbao/openbao and openbao. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/openbao/openbao` | Go | All versions | 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c |
| `github.com/openbao/openbao` | Go | All versions | 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c |
| `github.com/openbao/openbao` | Go | All versions | 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c |
| `github.com/openbao/openbao` | Go | From 0.1.0 | 2.3.2 |
| `github.com/openbao/openbao` | Go | From 0.1.0 | 2.3.2 |
| `openbao` | Bitnami | All versions | 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c, 2.3.2 |

Products: Openbao Openbao.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-55003?

Upgrade github.com/openbao/openbao to a fixed version for your release line: 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c or 2.3.2.

## Is CVE-2025-55003 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-55003 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in openbao

- [CVE-2026-33757](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33757/): OpenBao lacks user confirmation for OIDC direct callback mode (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2026-33758](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33758/): OpenBao has Reflected XSS in its OIDC authentication error message (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2025-54997](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-54997/): OpenBao: Privileged Operator May Execute Code on the Underlying Host (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2025-64761](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-64761/): OpenBao Privileged Operator Identity Group Root Escalation (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2025-59043](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59043/): OpenBao vulnerable to denial of service via malicious JSON request processing (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-55003 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-55003 is a medium-severity vulnerability in openbao, published on 9 Aug 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-55003 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/openbao/openbao (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c
- github.com/openbao/openbao (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c
- github.com/openbao/openbao (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c
- github.com/openbao/openbao (Go): affected from 0.1.0; fixed in 2.3.2
- github.com/openbao/openbao (Go): affected from 0.1.0; fixed in 2.3.2
- openbao (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20250807113757-8340a6918f6c, 2.3.2

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55003/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55003/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-55003
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-55003
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-55003

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55003/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.