Summary
Incorrect Permission Checking for GraphQL Subscriptions
Full technical description
CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Access to information you should not have access to when the permissions rely on $CURRENT_USER for filtering.
Details
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.
An example:
subscription {
directus_users_mutated {
event
data {
id
last_access
last_page
}
}
}
Workarounds
Disable GraphQL Subscriptions
References
Impact
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2023-38503 has a CVSS score of 5.7 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (10.5.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-38503? CVE-2023-38503 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in directus (npm), affecting versions >= 10.3.0, < 10.5.0. It is fixed in 10.5.0. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2023-38503? CVE-2023-38503 has a CVSS score of 5.7 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of directus are affected by CVE-2023-38503? directus (npm) versions >= 10.3.0, < 10.5.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-38503? Yes. CVE-2023-38503 is fixed in 10.5.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-38503 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-38503 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-38503 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-38503? Upgrade
directusto 10.5.0 or later.