---
id: "CVE-2026-115361"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-115361"]
title: "OpenBao: ACL bypass drops explicit deny rules under wildcard grants"
severity: "medium"
cvss: 4.1
epss: 0.00205
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["openbao", "package", "secrets-management", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["no-templated-acl-policies", "patched-2.6.3-or-later"]
published_at: "2026-10-22T19:17:42+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:31+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T04:41:47+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-115361", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:31+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-115361", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-24T07:15:51+00:00"}]
---

# OpenBao: ACL bypass drops explicit deny rules under wildcard grants

OpenBao before 2.6.3 silently drops explicit deny rules when they are based on forbidden identity metadata templates inside wildcard grants. An attacker whose identity metadata contains wildcard or path segments can reach paths that should have been denied.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed OpenBao version with `bao version` and compare it to `2.6.3`.
- Review ACL policies that use identity metadata templates (for example `{{identity.entity.metadata.*}}`) together with wildcard path grants.

## Fix

- Upgrade OpenBao to `2.6.3` or later.
- Until upgraded, avoid combining identity metadata templates with wildcard grants, and review explicit deny rules that sit under broader wildcard grants.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:31+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-115361
- 2026-10-24T07:15:51+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-115361

## From the sources

OpenBao before 2.6.3 contains an ACL bypass vulnerability that silently drops explicit deny rules based on forbidden identity metadata templates within wildcard grants. Attackers whose identity metadata contains wildcard or path segments can access paths that should be denied within the broader wildcard-granted scope.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_