Wiz
Vulnerability DatabaseCVE-2020-16251

CVE-2020-16251: 
HashiCorp Vault vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Overview

A vulnerability was discovered in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise versions 0.8.3 and newer, when configured with the GCP GCE auth method, that could allow authentication bypass. This vulnerability was assigned CVE-2020-16251 and was fixed in versions 1.2.5, 1.3.8, 1.4.4, and 1.5.1 (CVE Mitre).

Technical details

The vulnerability affects HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise installations that have the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) GCE authentication method configured. When exploited, it could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms (Red Hat CVE).

Impact

The vulnerability could allow unauthorized users to bypass authentication mechanisms when the GCP GCE auth method is configured, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive resources within Vault (PacketStorm).

Exploitability

The vulnerability affects systems running Vault versions 0.8.3 and newer with the GCP GCE auth method enabled. Proof of concept code has been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of exploitation (PacketStorm).

Mitigation and workarounds

Users should upgrade to one of the fixed versions: 1.2.5, 1.3.8, 1.4.4, or 1.5.1. The fix is documented in the official changelog (HashiCorp Changelog).

Additional resources

Source: This report was generated using AI

Related HashiCorp Vault vulnerabilities:

CVE ID

Severity

Score

Technologies

Component name

CISA KEV exploit

Has fix

Published date

CVE-2026-56865HIGH8.4
  • cAdvisor logocAdvisor
  • cluster-api-azure-controller-fips-1.25
NoYesAug 13, 2026
CVE-2026-56864HIGH7.5
  • cAdvisor logocAdvisor
  • cluster-autoscaler-1.36
NoYesAug 13, 2026
CVE-2026-56862HIGH7.5
  • cAdvisor logocAdvisor
  • harbor-2.14
NoYesAug 13, 2026
CVE-2026-56859HIGH7.5
  • cAdvisor logocAdvisor
  • cluster-api-azure-controller-1.26
NoYesAug 13, 2026
CVE-2026-56860MEDIUM5.9
  • cAdvisor logocAdvisor
  • vsphere-csi-syncer-3.5
NoYesAug 13, 2026

Free Vulnerability Assessment

Benchmark your Cloud Security Posture

Evaluate your cloud security practices across 9 security domains to benchmark your risk level and identify gaps in your defenses.

Request assessment

Additional Wiz resources

Cloud Vulnerability DB

Cloud Vulnerability DB

A community-led vulnerabilities database

Cloud Threat Landscape

Cloud Threat Landscape

A threat intelligence database

PEACH

PEACH

A tenant isolation framework

Get a personalized demo

Ready to see Wiz in action?

"Best User Experience I have ever seen, provides full visibility to cloud workloads."
David EstlickCISO
"Wiz provides a single pane of glass to see what is going on in our cloud environments."
Adam FletcherChief Security Officer
"We know that if Wiz identifies something as critical, it actually is."
Greg PoniatowskiHead of Threat and Vulnerability Management
Get a demo