● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
OpenBao 2.7 Adds External Key Support, PostgreSQL Read Scaling, and Post-Quantum TLS
Key points
- OpenBao 2.7 adds PostgreSQL read scaling.
- External HSM and KMS key support is now available.
- Post-quantum cryptographic algorithms are included.
- Control groups for sensitive operations are introduced.
Key Features in OpenBao 2.7
OpenBao version 2.7 introduces several significant features. It now supports read scaling for deployments using PostgreSQL as a backend, allowing standby instances to serve read requests. The release also adds support for external hardware security modules (HSM) and key management service (KMS) keys, enabling the PKI and Transit secrets engines to use external key material. Additionally, post-quantum cryptographic algorithms have been integrated.
Enhanced Security and Control
The new version includes control groups for human review of sensitive operations, providing an additional layer of security. New headers are also part of this release, designed to maintain request consistency across load-balanced OpenBao nodes. These features contribute to improved operational security and reliability.
OpenBao's Evolution and Mission
OpenBao originated as a community fork of HashiCorp Vault in 2023, following HashiCorp's license change to Business Source License. Governed by the Linux Foundation's Open Source Security Foundation and distributed under MPL 2.0, OpenBao aims to provide an open-governed secrets manager. The project has expanded beyond Vault Community Edition, previously adding namespaces and plugin-based auto-unseal integrations.
Impact of the Fork
The fork addressed both ideological concerns over license changes and practical opportunities. It makes functionalities like HSM integration and advanced scalability, which were enterprise-licensed in Vault, available without such restrictions. This aligns with similar open-source initiatives like OpenTofu from Terraform and Valkey from Redis.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
OpenBao, a fork of HashiCorp Vault, released version 2.7, introducing read scaling for PostgreSQL backends, support for external HSM and KMS keys, and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. This update expands OpenBao's capabilities, offering features previously restricted to enterprise licenses in Vault under an open-source license.