CVE-2025-53889: Directus missing permission checks for manual trigger Flows
Summary
Directus Flows with a manual trigger are not validating whether the user triggering the Flow has permissions to the items provided as payload to the Flow. Depending on what the Flow is set up to do this can lead to the Flow executing potential tasks on the attacker's behalf without authenticating.
Impact
Bad actors could execute the manual trigger Flows without authentication, or access rights to the said collection(s) or item(s).
Users with manual trigger Flows configured are impacted as these endpoints do not currently validate if the user has read access to directusflows or to the relevant collection/items. The manual trigger Flows should have tighter security requirements as compared to webhook Flows where users are expected to perform do their own checks.
Workarounds Users have to implement permission checks for read access to Flows and read access to relevant collection/items.
Other sources
Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Starting in version 9.12.0 and prior to version 11.9.0, Directus Flows with a manual trigger are not validating whether the user triggering the Flow has permissions to the items provided as payload to the Flow. Depending on what the Flow is set up to do this can lead to the Flow executing potential tasks on the attacker's behalf without authenticating. Bad actors could execute the manual trigger Flows without authentication, or access rights to the said collection(s) or item(s). Users with manual trigger Flows configured are impacted as these endpoints do not currently validate if the user has read access to directusflows or to the relevant collection/items. The manual trigger Flows should have tighter security requirements as compared to webhook Flows where users are expected to perform do their own checks. Version 11.9.0 fixes the issue. As a workaround, implement permission checks for read access to Flows and read access to relevant collection/items.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-53889?
CVE-2025-53889 has a critical severity as it allows unauthorized access to sensitive data by bypassing permission checks.
How do I fix CVE-2025-53889?
To fix CVE-2025-53889, upgrade Directus to version 11.9.0 or later to ensure proper validation of user permissions.
Who is affected by CVE-2025-53889?
CVE-2025-53889 affects Directus Flows versions between 9.12.0 and 11.9.0.
What kind of attacks can exploit CVE-2025-53889?
CVE-2025-53889 can be exploited for unauthorized actions on items provided in the payload via manual triggers.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2025-53889?
There is no recommended workaround for CVE-2025-53889 other than applying the software update.