Directus before 12.1.0 Authorization Bypass via Public WebSocket REST Interface
- Exploited
- No known exploitation
- Fix
- Fixed in 12.1.0
- Who is exposed
- Specific setups only
Do first: Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs. WebSockets must be enabled (WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED is true, off by default). WebSocket REST access must be enabled (WEBSOCKETS_REST_ENABLED is true). WebSocket REST authentication must be set to public (WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH is public). The WebSocket endpoint must be reachable by the attacker.
- Published
- Last modified
- Whether it needs action now or is a reference record, by fixed rules, with why. Last checked is when cve.now last re-read it.What do these mean? →
- Reference
- Last checked
- A 0-100 score for how much a CVE matters across the industry: exploitation, exposure, how widely the software is used, severity and whether a fix exists.What do these mean? →
- 21/100 · provisional
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Specific setups only
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
Directus versions before 12.1.0 contain an authorization bypass in the WebSocket REST interface that can be reached remotely, without logging in. An unauthenticated attacker can send an invalid authentication message on public-mode connections to skip permission checks and then read, create, update, or delete records in any user-defined collection.
Written by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 from the sources below. Verify against them.
Read the original description
Directus before 12.1.0 contains an authorization bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to skip permission checks by sending a failed auth message on public-mode WebSocket connections. Attackers can send an invalid token so handleAuthRequest sets accountability to null, then read, create, update or delete records in any user-defined collection.
Who should check
Teams running Directus before 12.1.0 with public WebSocket REST access (WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH set to public), including any instance exposing the WebSocket endpoint to the internet.
Not fixed by: Query limits and MAX_BATCH_MUTATION do not fix it.
cve.now Index
- Exploitation?/40Unknown. No CISA SSVC exploitation rating yet
- Exposure12/25Specific setups only, reachable over the network without a login
- Reach?/20Unknown. No tracked technology or package matched
- Severity9.2/10CVSS 9.2
- No patch0/5No signal
What would change the score
- Would score about 71 if added to CISA KEV
- Would score about 66 if CISA's SSVC rates exploitation active
What to do
Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs.
WebSockets must be enabled (WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED is true, off by default). WebSocket REST access must be enabled (WEBSOCKETS_REST_ENABLED is true). WebSocket REST authentication must be set to public (WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH is public). The WebSocket endpoint must be reachable by the attacker.Upgrade to a fixed version: 12.1.0.
Workaround: Set WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH to handshake or strict, or set WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED=false.
Check your systems with an agent
Paste this into a coding or ops agent. It checks your systems read-only and reports a table per asset.
Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-126539 (Directus before 12.1.0 Authorization Bypass via Public WebSocket REST Interface), using the cve.now data below. Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only. What cve.now has for CVE-2026-126539 (entry last updated 2026-11-11): Affected: - directus directus: fixed in 12.1.0 Fixed versions: 12.1.0. Conditions (all must be true for the bug to be hit): - WebSockets must be enabled (WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED is true, off by default). (source: https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-97xr-jchp-xm3c) - WebSocket REST access must be enabled (WEBSOCKETS_REST_ENABLED is true). (source: https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-97xr-jchp-xm3c) - WebSocket REST authentication must be set to public (WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH is public). (source: https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-97xr-jchp-xm3c) - The WebSocket endpoint must be reachable by the attacker. (source: https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-97xr-jchp-xm3c) Setup: the bug needs a feature or setting that is off by default or uncommon. Check whether each asset has it on. Attacker needs: network access, no login, no user action. Workaround: Set WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH to handshake or strict, or set WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED=false. (source: https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-97xr-jchp-xm3c) CISA KEV: CVE-2026-126539 is not listed as of cve.now's last read. This KEV status is for CVE-2026-126539 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one. How to check: - Installed software: check what is actually running, not what a repo declares. Read the version from each host, container image and Kubernetes node (the binary's version output, the OS package database, image layers), and check whether the conditions above hold there. Distribution packages may carry a backported fix under an older version number; confirm against the distribution's own advisory. Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one: - https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-97xr-jchp-xm3c - https://github.com/directus/directus/commit/8d4cd86783bcbf5444eaf290e8dcecb33929300e - https://github.com/directus/directus/releases/tag/v12.1.0 - https://github.com/directus/directus/blob/v12.0.2/api/src/websocket/controllers/base.ts#L381-L397 - https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/directus-before-12.1.0-authorization-bypass-via-public-websocket-rest-interface Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing. Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action. Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126539 For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example get_vulnerability with id CVE-2026-126539.
Timeline
- CVE published
- First seen by cve.now
- Posted on X by cve.now
Affected versions
- directus directus
fixed in 12.1.0
Evidence 7
Vendor advisory · 1
Establishes: Affected and fixed versions.
- Advisory
CVE record · 2
Establishes: The identifier and description.
- Record
- Record
Other links · 4
- Patch
- Repository
- Repository
- Link
Corrections
None so far.
Something wrong on this page? Report an error. Every fix is listed here.
Questions about CVE-2026-126539
Is CVE-2026-126539 being exploited?
It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cve.now feed data
What does this mean?
When WebSocket REST access is set to public, an unauthenticated network attacker can read, create, update or delete records in any user-defined collection, bypassing public role permissions, and can destroy data in bulk. System collections are not reachable.Source: github.com
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-126539?
directus: before 12.1.0.Source: cve.now feed data
Am I affected, and how do I check?
Directus versions before 12.1.0 are affected, but only when WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED is true, WEBSOCKETS_REST_ENABLED is true, and WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH is public, and the WebSocket endpoint is reachable by the attacker. WebSockets are off by default, and you can check these values in your environment configuration.Source: github.com
How do I fix CVE-2026-126539?
Upgrade Directus to 12.1.0 or later. Until you can upgrade, set WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH to handshake or strict, or set WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED to false.Source: github.com