CVE-2025-8959VulnerabilityPublished 15 Aug 2025

CVE-2025-8959: HashiCorp Shared library · Link Following

Affects HashiCorp Shared librarySource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High · fixed in 1.7.9 : patch HashiCorp Shared library soon.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 46% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 1.7.9

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
HashiCorp Shared library	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. Immediate upgrade to go-getter library version 1.7.9 or later where the vulnerability is patched. 2. 3. Implement strict file system permissions and sandboxing to limit the impact of any unauthorized file access. 4. Use monitoring and alerting to detect unusual file access patterns or unexpected symbolic link resolutions in environments using the library. 5. For organizations embedding go-getter in CI/CD pipelines, validate and sanitize all inputs related to directory paths and downloads to prevent injection of malicious symlinks. 6. Review and audit infrastructure as code repositories and deployment scripts for potential exposure of sensitive data that could be accessed via this vulnerability. 7. Engage in threat hunting exercises focusing on attempts to exploit symlink vulnerabilities in internal networks. 8. Establish a patch management process that prioritizes critical dependencies like shared libraries to reduce exposure windows.

Description

HashiCorp's go-getter library subdirectory download feature is vulnerable to symlink attacks leading to unauthorized read access beyond the designated directory boundaries. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-8959, is fixed in go-getter 1.7.9.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-8959 can be significant, particularly for those relying on HashiCorp tools and libraries in their DevOps, infrastructure as code (IaC), or software deployment processes. Unauthorized read access beyond intended directories could lead to exposure of confidential configuration files, credentials, or proprietary code. This could facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within networks. Organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure may face compliance violations under GDPR and other data protection laws if sensitive personal or operational data is leaked. The vulnerability's network-exploitable nature means attackers can potentially target exposed systems remotely, increasing the risk profile. Additionally, since HashiCorp tools are widely used in cloud and hybrid environments, the vulnerability could affect multi-tenant platforms, amplifying the potential damage. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive mitigation before widespread exploitation occurs.

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Symlink Attack (opens in a new tab)
Using Malicious Files (opens in a new tab)
Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files (opens in a new tab)
Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-23-hashicorp-go-getter-vulnerable-to-arbitrary-read-through-symlink-attack/76242 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 15 Aug 2025, 21:03 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-59

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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