Summary
URL Redirection to Untrusted Site in OAuth2/OpenID in directus
Full technical description
The authentication API has a redirect parameter that can be exploited as an open redirect vulnerability as the user tries to log in via the API URL https://docs.directus.io/reference/authentication.html#login-using-sso-providers /auth/login/google?redirect for example.
Details
There's a redirect that is done after successful login via the Auth API GET request to directus/auth/login/google?redirect=http://malicious-fishing-site.com, which I think is here: https://github.com/directus/directus/blob/main/api/src/auth/drivers/oauth2.ts#L394. While credentials don't seem to be passed to the attacker site, the user can be phished into clicking a legitimate directus site and be taken to a malicious site made to look like a an error message "Your password needs to be updated" to phish out the current password.
PoC
Turn on any auth provider in Directus instance. Form a link to directus-instance/auth/login/:provider_id?redirect=http://malicious-fishing-site.com, login and get taken to malicious-site. Tested on the ory OAuth2 integration.
Impact
Users who login via OAuth2 into Directus.
Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites. Typical impact: phishing and credential harvesting via a trusted domain.
CVE-2024-28239 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (10.10.0); 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
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-28239? CVE-2024-28239 is a medium-severity open redirect vulnerability in directus (npm), affecting versions < 10.10.0. It is fixed in 10.10.0. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.
- How severe is CVE-2024-28239? CVE-2024-28239 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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-2024-28239? directus (npm) versions < 10.10.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-28239? Yes. CVE-2024-28239 is fixed in 10.10.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-28239 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-28239 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-2024-28239 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-2024-28239? Upgrade
directusto 10.10.0 or later.