CVE-2025-64173

A vulnerability in Apollo Router allowed for unauthenticated queries to access data that required additional access controls. Router incorrectly handled access control directives on interface types/fields and their implementing object types/fields, applying them to interface types/fields while ignoring directives on their implementing object types/fields when all implementations had the same requirements.

Details

Apollo Federation allows users to specify access control directives (@authenticated, @requiresScopes, and @policy) to protect object and interface types and fields. However, the GraphQL specification does not define inheritance rules for directives from interfaces to their implementations. Apollo Router will enforce any directives on the interface types/fields but ignore any directives on the implementation object types/fields (as long as all implementations have the same requirements). This inconsistent enforcement behavior leads to unexpected runtime security gaps.

Who is impacted

This vulnerability impacts Apollo Router customers defining @authenticated, @requiresScopes, or @policy directives inconsistently on polymorphic types (i.e., object types that implement interface types). Specifically, if the same access control directives are applied to all implementing types/fields but not on their implemented interface types/fields, they could be impacted.

Scope of Impact

This vulnerability could allow a malicious actor to craft a query that can bypass access control requirements on the object types/fields by instead querying them via implemented interface types/fields that don't have the same access control requirements.

Workarounds

• If you are not immediately updating Router to a patched version, you should apply any included access control requirements to both the appropriate interface types/fields and their implementations.
• Customers not using Apollo Router access control features (@authenticated, @requiresScopes, or @policy directives) or not specifying inconsistent access control requirements on polymorphic types/fields are not affected and do not need to take action.

CVE-2025-64173 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (1.61.12, 2.8.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

This vulnerability has been fixed at runtime in Apollo Router. You may update Router to one of the following versions:

• 1.61.12+
• 2.8.1+

1. What is CVE-2025-64173? CVE-2025-64173 is a high-severity security vulnerability in apollo-router (rust), affecting versions < 1.61.12. It is fixed in 1.61.12, 2.8.1.
2. How severe is CVE-2025-64173? CVE-2025-64173 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). 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.
3. Which versions of apollo-router are affected by CVE-2025-64173? apollo-router (rust) versions < 1.61.12 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-64173? Yes. CVE-2025-64173 is fixed in 1.61.12, 2.8.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2025-64173 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-64173 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2025-64173 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2025-64173?
   • Upgrade apollo-router to 1.61.12 or later
   • Upgrade apollo-router to 2.8.1 or later