CVE-2025-6014 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise, specifically within the Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) Secrets Engine's code validation endpoint. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-156, which pertains to improper neutralization of whitespace characters. In this context, the vulnerability allows an attacker to reuse a TOTP code within its validity period due to insufficient validation or sanitization of whitespace in the code input. This flaw could enable an attacker with at least low-level privileges (PR:L) to bypass intended one-time use restrictions on TOTP codes without requiring user interaction (UI:N). The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5, reflecting a network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), and no impact on integrity or availability, but a high impact on confidentiality (C:H). The issue was addressed in Vault Community Edition 1.20.1 and Vault Enterprise versions 1.20.1, 1.19.7, 1.18.12, and 1.16.23. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability arises because the TOTP validation logic does not properly handle or neutralize whitespace characters, allowing code reuse within the validity window, which undermines the security guarantees of the TOTP mechanism.

For European organizations using HashiCorp Vault for secrets management and authentication, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. Since Vault is widely used for managing credentials, API keys, and other secrets, exploitation could compromise confidentiality by allowing attackers to reuse TOTP codes and bypass multi-factor authentication controls. This risk is particularly critical for organizations in finance, healthcare, and government sectors where strong authentication is mandatory. The vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability directly but poses a significant confidentiality risk. Given the network attack vector and low complexity, attackers with some level of access could exploit this flaw remotely, increasing the threat surface. The absence of user interaction requirements further elevates the risk. However, the need for at least low privileges limits exploitation to insiders or attackers who have already gained some foothold. Overall, the vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement and privilege escalation within affected environments.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading HashiCorp Vault to the fixed versions: Community Edition 1.20.1 or Enterprise Editions 1.20.1, 1.19.7, 1.18.12, or 1.16.23. Until patches are applied, organizations should implement compensating controls such as tightening access controls to limit who can interact with the TOTP Secrets Engine endpoint, monitoring and logging all TOTP validation requests for suspicious reuse patterns, and enforcing strict input validation and sanitization at the application layer if possible. Additionally, organizations should consider rotating all TOTP secrets and reviewing authentication logs for anomalies. Employing network segmentation to restrict access to Vault instances and enforcing the principle of least privilege for Vault users can reduce the risk of exploitation. Finally, organizations should stay alert for any emerging exploit reports and be prepared to respond rapidly.