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1. v2.7.2 Oct 26, 2026 · issue 122

   OpenBao v2.7.2 adds SSH wildcard-identity control via allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates and PKIPKIA framework of policies, roles, and cryptographic standards for issuing and managing digital certificates that bind public keys to identities, letting tools verify authenticity and encrypt communications without pre-shared secrets. external-key UI fields.⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠

   └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

   copy

   $ git clone --branch v2.7.2 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
   # already have the repo? check out this version:
   $ git checkout v2.7.2

   • Adds allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates parameter to secrets/ssh to control whether wildcards (*) are permitted in SSH certificate identity templating (denied by default).⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
   • Adds UI fields to configure external keys in PKI.
   • Adds allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates parameter to secrets/ssh to control whether wildcards (*) are permitted in SSH certificate identity templating (denied by default).⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠

   1 more in Everything

   └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

   • !Wildcards (*) in SSH certificate identity templating are now denied by default in secrets/ssh; existing roles relying on wildcard identity templates will be blocked unless allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates is explicitly enabled.
   • !client_type=public is now denied when client_credentials=true in the OIDCOIDCOpenID Connect, a sign-in protocol built on OAuth 2.0. An application uses identity information from a trusted provider instead of maintaining a separate password for each user. provider (secrets/identity); configurations combining both settings will be rejected on upgrade.
2. v2.6.5 Oct 26, 2026 · issue 122
   └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

   copy

   $ git clone --branch v2.6.5 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
   # already have the repo? check out this version:
   $ git checkout v2.6.5

   └──▷ TRY IT
   Re-enable wildcard identity templating on an SSH role that requires it, after upgrading to v2.6.5 where wildcards are denied by default.
   copy

   $ bao write ssh/roles/my-role allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates=true

   └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

   • !Wildcards (*) in SSH certificate identity templating are now denied by default in secrets/ssh; set allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates=true on affected roles to restore prior behavior.
   • !client_type=public is now rejected when client_credentials=true is set in the secrets/identity OIDCOIDCOpenID Connect, a sign-in protocol built on OAuth 2.0. An application uses identity information from a trusted provider instead of maintaining a separate password for each user. provider; configurations combining these two settings will fail.
   • !Imported key backups in secrets/transit that relied on path traversal to target arbitrary keys will no longer succeed.
3. v2.7.1 Oct 1, 2026 · release notes

   Openbao v2.7.1 updates the default Linux package server config to use pebbledb instead of file

   └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

   copy

   $ git clone --branch v2.7.1 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
   # already have the repo? check out this version:
   $ git checkout v2.7.1

4. docs update Sep 24, 2026 · issue 084

   OpenBao Proxy gains dedicated environment variables for idle connections, keep-alives, and full TLS control in v2.7.x⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠

   └──▷ TRY IT
   Run OpenBao Proxy with mutual TLSmutual TLSMutual TLS, an encrypted connection where both client and server present certificates to prove their identity. It helps services verify who they are communicating with. and a capped retry count — useful when fronting a hardened BAO cluster in a CI pipeline.
   copy

   $ export BAO_ADDR=https://bao.internal:8200
   export BAO_CACERT=/etc/bao/ca.pem
   export BAO_CLIENT_CERT=/etc/bao/client.crt
   export BAO_CLIENT_KEY=/etc/bao/client.key
   export BAO_MAX_RETRIES=3
   bao proxy -config=/etc/bao/proxy.hcl

   Disable idle connections and keep-alives in OpenBao Proxy when operating behind a load balancer that enforces strict connection limits.
   copy

   $ export BAO_PROXY_DISABLE_IDLE_CONNECTIONS=true
   export BAO_PROXY_DISABLE_KEEP_ALIVES=true
   bao proxy -config=/etc/bao/proxy.hcl

   • Adds BAO_PROXY_DISABLE_IDLE_CONNECTIONS environment variable to control idle connection behaviour in OpenBao Proxy.⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
   • Adds BAO_PROXY_DISABLE_KEEP_ALIVES environment variable to disable HTTP keep-alives in OpenBao Proxy.
   • Adds BAO_ADDR environment variable support in OpenBao Proxy for specifying the upstream BAO server address.
   • Adds BAO_CACERT environment variable to supply a CA certificate for OpenBao Proxy TLS verification.
   • Adds BAO_CAPATH environment variable to supply a directory of CA certificates for OpenBao Proxy TLS verification.

   +5 more show less

   • Adds BAO_CLIENT_CERT environment variable to supply a client certificate for OpenBao Proxy mutual TLS.
   • Adds BAO_CLIENT_KEY environment variable to supply a client private key for OpenBao Proxy mutual TLS.
   • Adds BAO_SKIP_VERIFY environment variable to disable TLS verification in OpenBao Proxy.
   • Adds BAO_TLS_SERVER_NAME environment variable to override the TLS server name used by OpenBao Proxy.
   • Adds BAO_MAX_RETRIES environment variable to configure the maximum number of retries in OpenBao Proxy.

   10 details in Everything

5. advisory CVE-2026-104093 Sep 23, 2026 · issue 128
   • CVE-2026-104093: ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. Bypass via Non-Canonical URL Access in OpenBao (affects <2.6.3)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
6. advisory CVE-2026-104092 Sep 23, 2026 · issue 128
   • CVE-2026-104092: OpenBao's PKIPKIA framework of policies, roles, and cryptographic standards for issuing and managing digital certificates that bind public keys to identities, letting tools verify authenticity and encrypt communications without pre-shared secrets. ACMEACMEAn IETF-standard protocol (RFC 8555) for automating TLS certificate issuance and renewal, letting cyber tools manage certificates without manual CA interaction. Issues Certificate With Unvalidated SANs (affects <2.6.3)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
7. advisory CVE-2026-104090 Sep 23, 2026 · issue 128
   • CVE-2026-104090: Remote Code Execution via sys/storage/raft/snapshot-force Plugin Catalog Replacement in OpenBao (affects <2.6.3)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
8. v2.7.0 Sep 23, 2026 · issue 084

   OpenBao v2.7.0 adds External KMSKMSA managed service that creates, stores, rotates and controls access to encryption keys, usually backed by HSMs. Applications ask it to encrypt or decrypt rather than holding keys themselves. key support, ML-DSAML-DSANIST's main post-quantum digital signature standard (FIPS 204), formerly Dilithium. It is the planned replacement for RSA and ECDSA signatures on certificates and code. post-quantumpost-quantumCryptography designed to stay secure against a large quantum computer, which could break today's RSA and elliptic-curve keys. NIST standardized the first algorithms in 2024 as ML-KEM, ML-DSA and SLH-DSA. crypto, PQCPQCCryptography designed to stay secure against a large quantum computer, which could break today's RSA and elliptic-curve keys. NIST standardized the first algorithms in 2024 as ML-KEM, ML-DSA and SLH-DSA. TLS, PostgreSQL read scaling, Control Groups, and PebbleDB storage.⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠

   └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

   copy

   $ git clone --branch v2.7.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
   # already have the repo? check out this version:
   $ git checkout v2.7.0

   └──▷ USE IT
   Enforce post-quantum key exchangepost-quantum key exchangeA cryptographic handshake algorithm designed to resist attacks from quantum computers, using math problems like lattices that quantum algorithms cannot efficiently solve, letting tools stay secure against future quantum-capable adversaries. on a listener so all inbound TLS connections use PQC algorithms.
   /etc/openbao/config.hcl copy

   listener "tcp" {
     address = "0.0.0.0:8200"
     tls_cert_file = "/etc/openbao/tls/server.crt"
     tls_key_file  = "/etc/openbao/tls/server.key"
     tls_key_exchange_preferences = "X25519MLKEM768,MLKEM1024"
   }

   Hold a read request on a standby node until it catches up to the index returned by a prior write, falling back to 429 if the wait expires — ensuring read-your-writes consistency.
   copy

   $ curl -s -H "X-Vault-Token: $BAO_TOKEN" \
     -H "X-Vault-Index: $WRITE_INDEX" \
     -H "X-Vault-Inconsistent: await-state" \
     https://openbao.example.com:8200/v1/secret/data/myapp

   • Adds tls_key_exchange_preferences to server, agent, and proxy listener config to enforce pure post-quantum TLS key exchange algorithms (SecP256r1MLKEM768, SecP384r1MLKEM1024, X25519MLKEM768, MLKEM1024).⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
   • Adds consistency_fallback_behavior, consistency_missing_header_forward, and consistency_max_index_wait listener configuration parameters for strong consistency control.
   • Supports X-Vault-Index and X-Vault-Inconsistent request headers (values: fail, forward-active-node, await-state) to enforce client/server read consistency.
   • Adds plugin_version=latest to allow auth and secret mounts to automatically request the latest installed version of an external plugin.
   • Adds bao plugin prune command to remove unused OCIOCIOpen Container Initiative standard, maintained by the Linux Foundation, defining the image format and runtime spec that container tools share so images built once run anywhere OCI-compliant. plugin downloads from disk.

   +21 more show less

   • Adds -field argument to bao status and bao namespace seal-status (which also gains -format).
   • Adds -field argument to bao token lookup.
   • Adds tls_auto_reload configuration option to automatically reload TLS certificate and key files on change without requiring SIGHUP.
   • Adds x_forwarded_for_client_cert_decoders Envoy decoder in auth/cert to process leaf certificates from the Envoy XFCC header.
   • Supports use_pss in issuers/generate/intermediate/:type PKIPKIA framework of policies, roles, and cryptographic standards for issuing and managing digital certificates that bind public keys to identities, letting tools verify authenticity and encrypt communications without pre-shared secrets. API calls for CSRs with PSS signatures from RSARSAThe oldest widely used public-key algorithm, for both encryption and signatures, with security resting on factoring large numbers. A large quantum computer would break it.-typed intermediates.
   • Adds External Keys support: PKI and Transit engines can now use KMS plugins via /sys/external-keys APIs to perform cryptographic operations without storing key material, with built-in Transit-backed key support and kms-pkcs11 plugin for PKCS#11PKCS#11The standard programming interface software uses to ask an HSM, smart card or token to sign or decrypt with a key it holds. Supporting it lets a tool keep its keys in hardware..
   • Introduces ML-DSA (mldsa-44, mldsa-65, mldsa-87) key types in the Transit engine for post-quantum signing and verification.
   • Introduces ML-DSA (NIST FIPS 204FIPS 204NIST's main post-quantum digital signature standard (FIPS 204), formerly Dilithium. It is the planned replacement for RSA and ECDSA signatures on certificates and code.) support in the PKI engine for all CA, CSRCSRA Certificate Signing Request is a block of encoded data submitted to a certificate authority, containing a public key and identity details, so the CA can issue a signed TLS certificate without ever seeing the private key., and leaf certificate operations.
   • Adds PostgreSQL horizontal read scalability on the PostgreSQL storage backend, requiring ha_enabled = true and a reachable cluster_addr.
   • Adds PebbleDB storage backend as a non-HA, durable backend using PebbleDB for transactions and improved performance.
   • Adds control_group ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. policy stanza requiring second-party approval for requests to a path.
   • Allows pinning OCI-based plugins by manifest digest (e.g., ghcr.io/openbao/openbao-plugin-secrets-aws@sha256:<digest>) instead of providing a sha256sum of the plugin binary.
   • Automatically determines binary_name for OCI plugins from the image's ENTRYPOINT or CMD if unset in configuration.
   • Reloads KMS plugin configuration stanzas on SIGHUP and respawns plugin clients as needed, enabling runtime plugin upgrades.
   • Adds support for revoke-self with wrapping tokens.
   • Allows reading backed-up unseal or recovery shares via sys/raw.
   • Adds Show internal engines button to the UI secrets list to hide the cubbyhole engine by default.
   • Reports vault.core.unsealed=0 metric via a dedicated metrics loop when OpenBao is sealed.
   • Adds configuration options to disable Auto Seal health checks and customize health check intervals and timeout.
   • Adds optional ACMEACMEAn IETF-standard protocol (RFC 8555) for automating TLS certificate issuance and renewal, letting cyber tools manage certificates without manual CA interaction. client port and host configuration in PKI to support non-privileged operation behind a load balancer on ports 80 and 443.
   • Defaults plugin_auto_register server configuration option to true.
   • Adds tls_key_exchange_preferences to server, agent, and proxy listener config to enforce pure post-quantum TLS key exchange algorithms (SecP256r1MLKEM768, SecP384r1MLKEM1024, X25519MLKEM768, MLKEM1024).⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
   • Adds consistency_fallback_behavior, consistency_missing_header_forward, and consistency_max_index_wait listener configuration parameters for strong consistency control.
   • Supports X-Vault-Index and X-Vault-Inconsistent request headers (values: fail, forward-active-node, await-state) to enforce client/server read consistency.
   • Adds bao plugin prune command to remove unused OCIOCIOpen Container Initiative standard, maintained by the Linux Foundation, defining the image format and runtime spec that container tools share so images built once run anywhere OCI-compliant. plugin downloads from disk.
   • Adds tls_auto_reload configuration option to automatically reload TLS certificate and key files on change without requiring SIGHUP.

   +5 more show less

   • Adds External Keys support: PKI and Transit engines can now use KMS plugins via /sys/external-keys APIs to perform cryptographic operations without storing key material, with built-in Transit-backed key support and kms-pkcs11 plugin for PKCS#11PKCS#11The standard programming interface software uses to ask an HSM, smart card or token to sign or decrypt with a key it holds. Supporting it lets a tool keep its keys in hardware..
   • Introduces ML-DSA (mldsa-44, mldsa-65, mldsa-87) key types in the Transit engine for post-quantum signing and verification.
   • Introduces ML-DSA (NIST FIPS 204FIPS 204NIST's main post-quantum digital signature standard (FIPS 204), formerly Dilithium. It is the planned replacement for RSA and ECDSA signatures on certificates and code.) support in the PKI engine for all CA, CSRCSRA Certificate Signing Request is a block of encoded data submitted to a certificate authority, containing a public key and identity details, so the CA can issue a signed TLS certificate without ever seeing the private key., and leaf certificate operations.
   • Adds PebbleDB storage backend as a non-HA, durable backend using PebbleDB for transactions and improved performance.
   • Adds control_group ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. policy stanza requiring second-party approval for requests to a path.

   16 more in Everything

   └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

   • !The pkcs11, alicloudkms, awskms, azurekeyvault, gcpckms, and ocikms seals are no longer built-in and must be installed as external plugins.
   • !The built-in KerberosKerberosA network authentication protocol that uses tickets issued by a trusted service. Users and services can prove their identities without sending a password to each application. auth engine (auth/kerberos) has been removed from the main OpenBao binary; it is now in openbao-plugins.
   • !The built-in LDAPLDAPA protocol for querying and modifying directory services, standardized under RFC 4511, commonly used to look up users, groups, and attributes in corporate identity stores like Active Directory. auth engine (auth/ldap) has been removed from the main OpenBao binary; it is now in openbao-plugins.
   • !The file storage backend has been removed from command/server.
   • !The .../quit and .../cache-clear agent/proxy endpoints now require the X-Vault-Request header when require_request_header = true is set.
   • !plugin_auto_register now defaults to true, which may cause previously unregistered plugins to be auto-registered on server start.
9. v2.6.3 Sep 23, 2026 · issue 084

   OpenBao v2.6.3 adds ResolvePathOperation to the SDK and exposes three new fields in sanitized server config output.⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠

   └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

   copy

   $ git clone --branch v2.6.3 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
   # already have the repo? check out this version:
   $ git checkout v2.6.3

   • Adds disable_standby_reads, allow_unauthenticated_workflows, and unsafe_relative_paths fields to the command/server sanitized config output.⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
   • Introduces ResolvePathOperation in sdk/logical to report canonical URLs for resources prior to ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. evaluation.

   2 details in Everything

   └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

   • !The agent/proxy .../quit and .../cache-clear endpoints now require the X-Vault-Request request header when require_request_header = true is set in listener configuration — calls omitting the header will be rejected.
10. advisory CVE-2026-104088 Aug 18, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-104088: OpenBao - Internal Operation Dispatching Leads to Token Creation (affects <2.6.2)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
11. docs update Aug 12, 2026 · issue 043

    OpenBao Proxy docs added: Auto-Auth, API proxy, caching, telemetry metrics, and full CLI/config reference for v2.6.x

    └──▷ TRY IT
    Start OpenBao Proxy with JSON-format logs, rotation at 100 MB, and a max of 5 archived log files.
    copy

    $ bao proxy -config=/etc/openbao/proxy-config.hcl -log-format=json -log-file=/var/log/openbao/proxy.log -log-rotate-bytes=104857600 -log-rotate-max-files=5

    Enable the quit endpoint on a trusted local listener to allow controlled proxy shutdown without a process restart.
    hcl copy

    listener "tcp" {
      address = "127.0.0.1:8200"
      proxy_api {
        enable_quit = true
      }
    }

    Trigger a graceful proxy shutdown via the quit API after maintenance tasks complete.
    copy

    $ curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8200/proxy/v1/quit

    • Adds POST /proxy/v1/quit endpoint to trigger proxy shutdown, enabled per listener via the proxy_api stanza with enable_quit: true.
    • Adds -log-level CLI flag (also BAO_LOG_LEVEL env var, log_level config key) with supported values trace, debug, info, warn, error.
    • Adds -log-format CLI flag (also BAO_LOG_FORMAT env var, log_format config key) supporting standard and json formats.
    • Adds -log-file CLI flag (also log_file config key) for absolute-path log output, with automatic timestamped rotation (e.g. proxy-{timestamp}.log).
    • Adds -log-rotate-bytes CLI flag (log_rotate_bytes config key) to cap log file size before rotation.

    +14 more show less

    • Adds -log-rotate-duration CLI flag (log_rotate_duration config key) to cap log write duration before rotation; defaults to 24h.
    • Adds -log-rotate-max-files CLI flag (log_rotate_max_files config key) to limit rotated log archives; defaults to 0 (keep all), -1 discards old files.
    • Adds disable_idle_connections config key (string array) to disable idle connections for auto-auth and/or proxying; also configurable via VAULT_PROXY_DISABLE_IDLE_CONNECTIONS env var.
    • Adds disable_keep_alives config key (string array) to disable keep-alives for auto-auth and/or proxying; also configurable via VAULT_PROXY_DISABLE_KEEP_ALIVES env var.
    • Adds BAO_PROXY_CONFIG_PATH environment variable as an alternative to the -config flag for specifying the proxy configuration path.
    • Adds require_request_header listener option (bool, default false) to enforce X-Vault-Request: true on all incoming HTTP requests, returning HTTP 412 on violations.
    • Adds role listener option (string, default default) to restrict a listener to metrics_only or the full default API surface.
    • Adds proxy_api stanza per listener with enable_quit (bool, default false) to selectively expose the quit endpoint.
    • Adds num_retries in the retry stanza under the vault block (default 12; 0 = default, -1 = disabled), overridable via VAULT_MAX_RETRIES env var.
    • Adds exit_after_auth top-level config key (bool, default false) to terminate the proxy with exit code 0 after a single successful auth and token sink write.
    • Supports template and template_config config stanzas for templating OpenBao secrets to files.
    • Exposes telemetry metrics via the telemetry stanza, including vault.proxy.auth.failure, vault.proxy.auth.success, vault.proxy.proxy.success, vault.proxy.proxy.client_error, vault.proxy.proxy.error, vault.proxy.cache.hit, and vault.proxy.cache.miss counters.
    • Supports SIGHUP (kill -SIGHUP $(pidof bao)) to reload listener TLS configuration and update log level from config without restarting the process.
    • Supports multiple -config flag invocations or a directory path to compose configuration from multiple files at runtime.

    19 details in Everything

12. v2.6.1 Jul 22, 2026 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.6.1 adds PATCH support for ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. policy parameters and warns on uncached sys/ keys

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.6.1 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.6.1

    └──▷ TRY IT
    Modify specific fields in an existing ACL policy without overwriting the entire policy body.
    copy

    $ curl -X PATCH -H 'X-Vault-Token: ...' http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/policies/acl/my-policy -d '{"allow_wildcards_in_identity_templates": true}'

    • Introduces PATCH operation support for modifying the values of specific parameters in ACL policies.
    • Adds a core warning log line when encountering a sys/ key with no explicit invalidation handler.

    2 details in Everything

13. advisory CVE-2026-63131 Jul 14, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-63131: OpenBao Skips Stricter Deny Policy for LIST operations (affects <2.6.0)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
14. advisory CVE-2026-63132 Jul 14, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-63132: OpenBao's Recovery Mode Vulnerable To Token Leakage via Timing Attack (affects <2.6.0)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
15. advisory CVE-2026-71543 Jul 14, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-71543: OpenBao's Templated Policies Allow Privilege Escalation via Wildcard Characters (affects <2.6.0)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
16. advisory CVE-2026-77285 Jul 14, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-77285: OpenBao Agent Writes Secrets to Stdout (affects <2.6.0)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
17. v2.6.0 Jul 14, 2026 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.6.0 adds Auto Unseal plugin support, sys/workflows endpoints, authenticated root generation, and distroless images

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.6.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.6.0

    • Adds kms plugin type for Auto Unseal distributed as external binary plugins
    • Registers KMSKMSA managed service that creates, stores, rotates and controls access to encryption keys, usually backed by HSMs. Applications ask it to encrypt or decrypt rather than holding keys themselves. plugins via plugin "kms" "name" { } config stanzas with seal "name" { } activation
    • Adds /sys/workflows API endpoints for workflow management and execution
    • Enables unauthenticated workflow dispatch via allow_unauthenticated_workflows server config value
    • Introduces authenticated /sys/generate-root-token endpoints to replace deprecated unauthenticated ones

    +31 more show less

    • Provides openbao-distroless container image variant based on distroless/static
    • Allows overriding token file location via BAO_TOKEN_PATH environment variable
    • Adds CELCELCommon Expression Language, an open-source expression language maintained by Google, used to embed lightweight, safe policy evaluation logic into tools without running a full scripting engine. support in declarative self-initialization configuration
    • Adds text/template support in declarative self-initialization for request templating
    • Supports conditional execution in self-initialization with the when keyword
    • Permits self-initialization stanzas in development server mode
    • Allows setting custom headers on declarative self-initialization requests
    • Adds uid and gid configuration options for the file sink in agent config
    • Enables SIGHUP to reload client TLS configuration in command/agent
    • Adds -method=kubernetes support for interactive and non-interactive Kubernetes JWTJWTAn open standard (RFC 7519) for encoding claims as a signed, optionally encrypted JSON object passed between parties. Cyber tools use it to verify identity and permissions without querying a central session store. login
    • Includes full JSON parse and complexity errors in HTTP responses
    • Ensures passthrough_request_headers passes the Host header to plugins
    • Makes sys/ backend a singleton across all namespaces to reduce idle memory usage
    • Adds path, namespace_path, and revoke_error fields to lease lookup responses
    • Supports credentials in cross-origin requests via new listener parameter
    • Canonicalizes headers before evaluating request profiles
    • Parses login MFAMFAMulti-factor authentication, requiring proof from different categories, such as a password and a hardware key, to sign in. It reduces reliance on a password alone. from request header information in profile engine
    • Adds Azure managed identity authentication for Azure Key Vault seal plugin
    • Improves PKCS#11PKCS#11The standard programming interface software uses to ask an HSM, smart card or token to sign or decrypt with a key it holds. Supporting it lets a tool keep its keys in hardware. public key detection via CKA_ID fallback
    • Detects and rolls back uncommitted/rolled-back transactions in Raft physical layer
    • Supports auto_join via DNS SRVSRVA DNS record type that advertises the hostname and port for a specific service, letting clients discover endpoints without hardcoded addresses. records in physical/raft
    • Adds X-Tls-Client-Cert support for forwarded leaf certificates in auth/cert
    • Adds Kubernetes JWT provider authenticating via pod service account token in auth/jwt
    • Adds decode_pac option for KerberosKerberosA network authentication protocol that uses tickets issued by a trusted service. Users and services can prove their identities without sending a password to each application. authentication compatibility
    • Adds password_hash field to userpass authentication for pre-hashed bcryptbcryptA deliberately slow password-hashing function, so a stolen password database takes far longer to crack by guessing. Argon2 and scrypt are newer alternatives built on the same idea. passwords
    • Adds encode_json and decode_json CEL helpers for secrets/pki
    • Adds generated, expire_time, and period fields to TOTPTOTPA one-time password algorithm (RFC 6238) that generates short-lived codes from a shared secret and the current time, giving cyber tools phishing-resistant second-factor authentication without a server round-trip. code generation responses
    • Searches for public and private key files automatically if -public-key-path and -private-key-path are omitted in SSH secrets engine
    • Adds multi-host connection failover support for database/mysql secrets engine
    • Adds ClientCertBytes and ClientKeyBytes fields for in-memory TLS configuration in API client
    • Provides .Sys().CreateNamespace(...) and related methods for first-class /sys/namespaces API support in SDK

    36 details in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !Removes the undocumented and hidden -disable-gated-logs flag from server, agent, proxy & debug subcommands
    • !operator generate-root now uses the authenticated /sys/generate-root-token endpoints instead of the deprecated /sys/generate-root endpoints
    • !POST/PUT operations may fail with 400 instead of 404 when accessing bare paths without trailing slashes due to Go 1.26 net/http redirect changes
    • !Removes corrupt namespace identity groups created prior to v2.5.0 during unseal; affected groups must be recreated by an administrator
    • !The stored_shares parameter was removed from sys/init and sys/rekey/init and will now be ignored
18. advisory CVE-2026-55775 Jun 19, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-55775: OpenBao's System Backend allows Unauthorized Management of the containing Namespace (affects <=2.5.4)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
19. advisory CVE-2026-55776 Jun 19, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-55776: OpenBao crashes on Transit engine key creation with derived=true for RSARSAThe oldest widely used public-key algorithm, for both encryption and signatures, with security resting on factoring large numbers. A large quantum computer would break it. key types (CVSSCVSSCommon Vulnerability Scoring System, a method for describing a vulnerability's characteristics and severity. Its score is not the probability that attackers will exploit it. 6.5, affects <=2.5.4)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
20. advisory CVE-2026-55774 Jun 19, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-55774: Cross-namespace lease revocation via lease ID in path bypasses ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. (affects <=2.5.4)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
21. advisory CVE-2026-55770 Jun 19, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-55770: LDAPi ldaputil (wrong escape func) (CVSSCVSSCommon Vulnerability Scoring System, a method for describing a vulnerability's characteristics and severity. Its score is not the probability that attackers will exploit it. 6.8, affects <=2.5.4)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
22. v2.5.5 Jun 17, 2026 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.5.5 adds ability to clear namespace custom_metadata via API patching.

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.5.5 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.5.5

    └──▷ TRY IT
    Clear all custom metadata for an existing namespace using the sys/namespaces API endpoint.
    copy

    $ curl -X PATCH --header 'X-Vault-Token: ...' http://localhost:8200/v1/sys/namespaces/my-ns -d '{ "custom_metadata": null }'

    • Supports clearing a namespace's custom_metadata by providing a patch that sets custom_metadata to null at the top-level.

    1 detail in Everything

23. advisory CVE-2026-46405 May 21, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-46405: OpenBao's KerberosKerberosA network authentication protocol that uses tickets issued by a trusted service. Users and services can prove their identities without sending a password to each application. Auth Method Accumulates Unaccessible Tokens (CVSSCVSSCommon Vulnerability Scoring System, a method for describing a vulnerability's characteristics and severity. Its score is not the probability that attackers will exploit it. 5.3, affects <=2.5.3)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
24. advisory CVE-2026-46358 May 21, 2026 · issue 128
    • CVE-2026-46358: OpenBao's Inline Auth Incorrectly Redacted Headers (affects <=2.5.3)⁠︀︄︇︀︅︉︀︅︀︀︃︀︀︅︅︀︅︊︀︄︆︀︃︄⁠
25. v2.5.4 May 20, 2026 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.5.4 adds PostgreSQL constraint naming for multi-instance sharing and removes legacy lease endpoints

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.5.4 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.5.4

    • Enables PostgreSQL storage to use named constraints (table_pkey, ha_table_pkey) and indices (table_idx) when reusing the same database partition for multiple OpenBao instances

    1 detail in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !Legacy lease endpoints (sys/revoke, sys/renew, sys/revoke-prefix, and sys/revoke-force) are removed, stopping cross-namespace lease modification via these paths
26. v2.5.3 Apr 20, 2026 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.5.3 hardens auth and core defaults while adding plugin download size limits.

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.5.3 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.5.3

    • Adds disable_unauthed_generate_root_endpoints=false to re-enable unauthenticated root generation endpoints (disabled by default for security).
    • Adds unsafe_relative_paths config option to permit path segments containing .. when path traversal blocking is required.

    2 details in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !The sys/generate-root/* endpoints are now disallowed by default; existing setups relying on unauthenticated root generation must set disable_unauthed_generate_root_endpoints=false.
    • !Request path traversal using . and .. segments is forbidden by default; workflows requiring these in paths must explicitly enable unsafe_relative_paths.
27. v2.5.0 Feb 4, 2026 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.5.0 adds declarative OCIOCIOpen Container Initiative standard, maintained by the Linux Foundation, defining the image format and runtime spec that container tools share so images built once run anywhere OCI-compliant. plugin distribution, horizontal read scalability, OIDCOIDCOpenID Connect, a sign-in protocol built on OAuth 2.0. An application uses identity information from a trusted provider instead of maintaining a separate password for each user. Client Credentials flow, and HTTP audit devices

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.5.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.5.0

    └──▷ TRY IT
    Manually pull an OCI plugin image for your OpenBao deployment.
    copy

    $ bao plugin init registry.example.com/my-plugin:latest

    • bao plugin init command for manual download of plugins via declarative OCI image distribution.
    • Adds plugin, plugin_auto_download, and plugin_auto_register configuration keywords to enable automatic plugin provisioning from OCI images.
    • disable_standby_reads config key to disable horizontal read scalability on standby nodes.
    • OIDC Provider now supports the Client Credentials flow for machine-to-machine authentication.
    • HTTP audit device for sending audit events to webhooks via an HTTP endpoint.

    +1 more show less

    • Adds metrics_only and disallow_metrics listener options to control metrics exposure per listener.

    6 details in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !The default value of disable_unauthed_rekey_endpoints is now true; unauthed rekey endpoints are blocked unless you explicitly set disable_unauthed_rekey_endpoints=false in your listener configuration.
    • !Deprecated fields creation_statements, revocation_statements, rollback_statements, and renew_statements are removed from the dbplugin Statements protobuf message.
28. v2.4.3 Oct 22, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.4.3 allows BAO_NAMESPACE=root to map to the root namespace and redacts sensitive parameters from audit logs

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.4.3 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.4.3

    • Adds BAO_NAMESPACE=root support: Setting the X-Vault-Namespace header or the BAO_NAMESPACE environment variable to root now maps to the root namespace, eliminating the need for special-case handling of that value.
    • Introduces redaction of HTTPRawBody response parameters in audit logs to prevent sensitive data leakage (CVE-2025-62513).
    • Adds automatic redaction of []byte type response parameters in audit logs to prevent binary data leaks (CVE-2025-62705).

    3 details in Everything

29. v2.4.1 Sep 11, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.4.1 adds limits for JSON request body complexity via max_request_json_memory and max_request_json_strings.

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.4.1 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.4.1

30. v2.4.0 Aug 28, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.4.0 adds inline auth, declarative init, dynamic audit devices and config validation subcommand

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.4.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.4.0

    └──▷ TRY IT
    Validate a configuration file before starting the service.
    copy

    $ bao operator validate-config /etc/openbao/config.hcl

    • sys/auth/inline mount type enables passing authentication information inline with main operations.
    • Declarative Self-Initialization via a new request-driven initialization path on first server start.
    • list_scan_response_keys_filter_path parameter filters LIST and SCAN responses to readable or listable values.
    • Configuration-based audit devices allow creating and removing audit devices through server configuration updates applied on restart and SIGHUP.
    • Delay recovery key generation for auto-unseal mechanisms and make rotation authenticated with new endpoints.

    +3 more show less

    • Static key unseal mechanism added for auto-unseal in environments with explicit trust chaining.
    • bao operator validate-config subcommand validates configuration file syntax.
    • sys/seal-status endpoint explicitly adds recovery seal type to the barrier seal type response.

    8 details in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !certutil.ParsePublicKeyPEM now returns crypto.PublicKey instead of any, requiring removal of existing type assertions.
    • !Removed packages sdk/helper/base62, sdk/helper/mlock, sdk/helper/parseutil, sdk/helper/password, sdk/helper/strutil, and sdk/helper/tlsutil; use github.com/openbao/go-secure-stdlib/xxx or github.com/hashicorp/go-secure-stdlib/xxx instead.
    • !Removed LegacyStringToSliceHookFunc from sdk/framework; use mapstructure.StringToWeakSliceHookFunc instead.
    • !Removed Initialize method from ConnectionProducer interface and SQLConnectionProducer struct in sdk/database/helper/connutil.
31. v2.3.2 Aug 8, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.3.2 introduces configurable audit mount and log prefixing controls via new API flags.

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.3.2 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.3.2

    └──▷ USE IT
    Allow API-driven audit mount creation after disabling it by default in v2.3.2.
    api copy

    PUT /v1/sys/config/audit
    {
      "unsafe_allow_api_audit_creation": true
    }

    Disable audit log prefixing for new mounts to comply with hardened defaults.
    api copy

    PUT /v1/sys/config/audit
    {
      "allow_audit_log_prefixing": false
    }

    • Adds unsafe_allow_api_audit_creation setting to control creation of audit mounts via the API
    • Adds allow_audit_log_prefixing setting to control availability of the prefix audit mount option

    2 details in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !The audit subsystem no longer allows creation of new devices via the API unless unsafe_allow_api_audit_creation is explicitly enabled.
    • !TOTPTOTPA one-time password algorithm (RFC 6238) that generates short-lived codes from a shared secret and the current time, giving cyber tools phishing-resistant second-factor authentication without a server round-trip. codes must now be exactly N numeric digits with no leading or trailing whitespace; malformed codes are rejected by the API.
32. v2.3.1 Jun 25, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.3.1 adds KMIP auto-unseal, full namespaces support (CLI/API/UI), CELCELCommon Expression Language, an open-source expression language maintained by Google, used to embed lightweight, safe policy evaluation logic into tools without running a full scripting engine. for PKIPKIA framework of policies, roles, and cryptographic standards for issuing and managing digital certificates that bind public keys to identities, letting tools verify authenticity and encrypt communications without pre-shared secrets./roles, and unauthenticated rekey disable listener param

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.3.1 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.3.1

    • disable_unauthed_rekey_endpoints (listener config, default: false) to disable unauthenticated rekey operations on sys/rekey/* and sys/rekey-recovery-key/* endpoints.
    • Adds KMIP Auto-Unseal capability to automatically unseal OpenBao using the KMIP protocol.
    • Namespace feature with full lifecycle management (create, read, update, delete), isolated secrets engines/auth methods, remounting between namespaces, and locking/unlocking.
    • X-Vault-Namespace header support for routing requests to specific namespaces alongside path-based routing.
    • bao namespace CLI subcommands and -namespace flag for programmatic namespace operations.

    +4 more show less

    • Namespaces UI Support including a new namespace picker and namespace management pages in the console.
    • Common Expression Language (CEL) support in PKI for dynamic certificate policies and complex validation.
    • CEL login roles support in auth/jwt for flexible claim validation and arbitrary templating of logical.Auth data.
    • Support for multiple certificate issuers in SSH secret engine mounts to enable safer rotation of SSH CA key material.

    9 details in Everything

    └──▷ BREAKING ON UPGRADE

    • !Illumos build support removed from the release due to broken builds.
33. v2.2.0 Mar 5, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.2.0 adds ACMEACMEAn IETF-standard protocol (RFC 8555) for automating TLS certificate issuance and renewal, letting cyber tools manage certificates without manual CA interaction. TLS provisioning, PKCS#11PKCS#11The standard programming interface software uses to ask an HSM, smart card or token to sign or decrypt with a key it holds. Supporting it lets a tool keep its keys in hardware. auto-unseal, recursive plugin scanning, Transit key derivation, Raft non-voters, and Web UI

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.2.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.2.0

    • scan ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource. capability for recursively listing paths in plugins, KVv1, and KVv2 engines
    • New SCAN HTTP verb with GET fallback via ?scan=true query parameter for scanning operations
    • ACME TLS Listener Certificate Provisioning for automatic certificate fetching
    • PKCS#11 Auto-Unseal support for HSMHSMA tamper-resistant device that generates and stores cryptographic keys and performs operations with them, so the private key never leaves the hardware. Cloud KMS services run on fleets of them./KMSKMSA managed service that creates, stores, rotates and controls access to encryption keys, usually backed by HSMs. Applications ask it to encrypt or decrypt rather than holding keys themselves.-backed unsealing
    • Transit key derivation mechanisms using ECDH algorithm

    +2 more show less

    • Raft cluster nodes can now join as non-voters
    • Reintroduction of the Web UI

    7 details in Everything

34. v2.2.0-beta20250213 Prerelease Feb 13, 2025 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.2.0-beta20250213 adds ACMEACMEAn IETF-standard protocol (RFC 8555) for automating TLS certificate issuance and renewal, letting cyber tools manage certificates without manual CA interaction. TLS provisioning, PKCS#11PKCS#11The standard programming interface software uses to ask an HSM, smart card or token to sign or decrypt with a key it holds. Supporting it lets a tool keep its keys in hardware. auto-unseal, recursive scanning via SCAN verb and scan ACLACLAn access control list, a set of rules allowing or denying operations for particular users, services or network addresses. It decides who can use a resource., Transit key derivation, and restores the WebUI.

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.2.0-beta20250213 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.2.0-beta20250213

    • ACME TLS Listener Certificate Provisioning: automatically fetch TLS certificates for OpenBao Server's TCPTCPA network protocol that delivers a reliable, ordered stream of bytes between two endpoints. It detects lost data and retransmits it. listeners via an ACME-capable CA (RFC 8555), enabling self-hosted certificate signing [[GH-857](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/857)]
    • PKCS#11 Auto-Unseal: add support for automatic unsealing of OpenBao using a PKCS#11-enabled HSMHSMA tamper-resistant device that generates and stores cryptographic keys and performs operations with them, so the private key never leaves the hardware. Cloud KMS services run on fleets of them. or KMSKMSA managed service that creates, stores, rotates and controls access to encryption keys, usually backed by HSMs. Applications ask it to encrypt or decrypt rather than holding keys themselves. [[GH-889](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/889)]
    • Scanning: introduce recursive listing within plugins with a separate scan ACL capability, the SCAN HTTP verb (with GET fallback via ?scan=true), corresponding API endpoints, CLI support, and KVv1/KVv2 engine integration [[GH-763](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/763)]
    • Transit key derivation: add support for deriving new keys from a base key using named algorithms, currently supporting ECDH (base key as ECC private key, peer_public_key as PEM-encoded public key) [[GH-811](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/811)]
    • WebUI reintroduction: bring back the web-based user interface for OpenBao management and monitoring [[GH-940](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/940)]

    +1 more show less

    • Raft non-voter nodes: allow Raft cluster nodes to join as non-voters, enabling expandable quorum structures without voting rights [[GH-741](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/pull/741)]

    6 details in Everything

35. v2.1.0 Nov 29, 2024 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.1.0 adds unlimited mount tables, plugin transactional APIs, PKIPKIA framework of policies, roles, and cryptographic standards for issuing and managing digital certificates that bind public keys to identities, letting tools verify authenticity and encrypt communications without pre-shared secrets. CSRCSRA Certificate Signing Request is a block of encoded data submitted to a certificate authority, containing a public key and identity details, so the CA can issue a signed TLS certificate without ever seeing the private key. storage in Transit, and OIDCOIDCOpenID Connect, a sign-in protocol built on OAuth 2.0. An application uses identity information from a trusted provider instead of maintaining a separate password for each user. device/direct flows

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.1.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.1.0

    • Removes mount table limits by splitting auth/secret mounts into separate entries, enabling hundreds of thousands of mounts
    • Adds physical.TransactionalBackend and logical.TransactionalStorage types for plugin developers to perform safe storage transactions
    • Adds PKI CSR and certificate storage alongside key material in the Transit secret engine without requiring an additional K/V mount
    • Adds device value to callback_mode role option in auth/oidc for OIDC device flow authentication
    • Adds poll_interval role option in auth/oidc to control polling frequency for device flow responses

    +4 more show less

    • Adds callbackmode=device CLI option to the oidc login method for initiating device flow logins
    • Adds direct value to callback_mode role option in auth/oidc to direct callbacks straight to the server
    • Adds callbackmode=direct CLI option to the oidc login method for server-direct callback mode
    • Reintroduces physical/postgres storage driver with paginated list support (preview)

    9 details in Everything

36. v2.0.0 Jul 17, 2024 · release notes

    OpenBao v2.0.0 adds initial artifact signing support and drops UI in favor of API-first delivery.

    └──▷ GET THIS VERSION

    copy

    $ git clone --branch v2.0.0 https://github.com/openbao/openbao.git
    # already have the repo? check out this version:
    $ git checkout v2.0.0

    • Provides initial support for artifact signing to ensure binary integrity
    • Delivers the service without the UI enabled, establishing an API-only operational surface for this release

    2 details in Everything