CVE-2025-12044

Name: CVE-2025-12044
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2025-10-23T20:15:37.607+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 0.52%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2025-12044 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Vault and Vault Enterprise (“Vault”) are vulnerable to an unauthenticated denial of service when processing JSON payloads. This occurs due to a regression from a previous fix for [+HCSEC-2025-24+|https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-24-vault-denial-of-service-though-complex-json-payloads/76393] which allowed for processing JSON payloads before applying rate limits. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Vault and Vault Enterprise (“Vault”) are vulnerable to an unauthenticated denial of service when processing JSON payloads. This occurs due to a regression from a previous fix for [+HCSEC-2025-24+|https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-24-vault-denial-of-service-though-complex-json-payloads/76393] which allowed for processing JSON payloads before applying rate limits. This vulnerability, CVE-2025-12044, is fixed in Vault Community Edition 1.21.0 and Vault Enterprise 1.16.27, 1.19.11, 1.20.5, and 1.21.0.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.52%

40.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-770

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Hashicorp	Vault	>= 1.16.25, < 1.16.27
Hashicorp	Vault	>= 1.18.14, <= 1.18.15
Hashicorp	Vault	>= 1.19.9, <= 1.19.11
Hashicorp	Vault	>= 1.20.3, < 1.20.5
Hashicorp	Vault	>= 1.20.3, < 1.21.0

References

https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2025-31-vault-vulnerable-to-denial-of-service-due-to-rate-limit-regression/76710Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 23, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-12044?

How severe is CVE-2025-12044?

CVE-2025-12044 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.52% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2025-12044?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2025-12044?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST