CVE-2025-55746: Directus allows unauthenticated file upload and file modification due to lacking input sanitization

Should you act?

Critical and remotely reachable

No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 1.4%, percentile 72: FIRST’s model estimates a 1.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 72% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes directus (npm) >= 10.8.0, < 11.9.3, fixed in 11.9.3; @directus/api (npm) >= 14.1.0, < 28.0.2, fixed in 28.0.2. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. From 10.8.0 to before 11.9.3, a vulnerability exists in the file update mechanism which allows an unauthenticated actor to modify existing files with arbitrary contents (without changes being applied to the files' database-resident metadata) and / or upload new files, with arbitrary content and extensions, which won't show up in the Directus UI. This vulnerability is fixed in 11.9.3.

From the GitHub advisory

Summary

A vulnerability exists in the file update mechanism which allows an unauthenticated actor to modify existing files with arbitrary contents (without changes being applied to the files' database-resident metadata) and / or upload new files, with arbitrary content and extensions, which won't show up in the Directus UI.

Details

Directus exposes the CRUD operations for uploading or handling files under the /files route.

The endpoint handler is responsible for updating an existing file identified by the provided primary key specified through the pk parameter. Primary keys are UUID values such as /files/927b3abf-fb4b-4c66-bdaa-eb7dc48a51cb. Here the filenamedisk value is never sanitized, it's possible to pass a path containing traversal sequences (../) through it, but a fully arbitrary file write is not possible in case the "local" storage handler is used. (Other storage implementations haven't been checked during the research process). The packages/storage-driver-local/src/index.ts file defines two relevant functions: write and fullpath.

Weakness type: CWE-73, CWE-434.

Product: directus (npm) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2025-08-20

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: changed (can affect other components)

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact partial.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 1.40% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 72.

Timeline

• 2025-08-20 — CVE record last updated
• 2025-08-20 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2025-08-20 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-mv33-9f6j-pfmc published (critical)

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-mv33-9f6j-pfmc github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2025-55746 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2025-55746 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com

Critical npm advisories · Today’s Security Digest