# CVE-2022-26969: Directus insecure default CORS configuration

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-26969-directus-insecure-default-cors-configuration  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2022-04-05. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2022-26969 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2022-04-05

Directus, a popular headless CMS and content management API platform, had overly permissive default values for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) settings. This could allow attackers from unauthorized origins to make requests to a Directus instance if administrators did not manually configure stricter CORS policies. In production environments where default settings were left unchanged, this creates a potential pathway for data theft, unauthorized modifications, or service disruption.

Technologies: [directus (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/directus). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2022-26969 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2022-26969 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2022-26969?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 5 April 2022.

**Which products and versions are affected?** directus (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=9.7.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2022-26969?** Yes. directus (npm): upgrade to 9.7.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2022-26969 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2022-26969?** Check whether you run directus (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- directus (npm): upgrade to 9.7.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install directus@9.7.0
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability stems from insecure default values in the CORS_ENABLED and CORS_ORIGIN configuration parameters in Directus. By default, these settings were configured permissively, allowing cross-origin requests from unauthorized sources without explicit administrator configuration. An attacker can exploit this by crafting malicious cross-origin requests from an untrusted domain to access or modify sensitive data, assuming the target deployment has not customized the CORS settings. This is a configuration-based vulnerability that requires user interaction (victim accessing a malicious page) and occurs when CORS restrictions are improperly scoped. The vulnerability was patched in version 9.7.0 (PR #12022) by changing the default CORS configuration to be more restrictive.

## Affected products

- Directus Directus before 9.7.0

## Identifiers

- CVE-2022-26969
- GHSA-g27j-74fp-xfpr

## Timeline

- 2022-04-05: disclosed
- 2022-04-05: patched: Fixed in version 9.7.0

## References

- [https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-g27j-74fp-xfpr](https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-g27j-74fp-xfpr)

## Related threats

- [Directus authorization bypass via unsegmented response cache key](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-61836-directus-authorization-bypass-via-unsegmented-response-cache-key)
- [Directus SSRF bypass in file import via 0.0.0.0 address](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-61835-directus-ssrf-bypass-in-file-import-via-0-0-0-0-address)
- [Directus sensitive information disclosure via aggregate queries](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35442-directus-sensitive-information-disclosure-via-aggregate-queries)
- [Directus resource exhaustion via GraphQL alias amplification](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35441-directus-resource-exhaustion-via-graphql-alias-amplification)
- [Directus GraphQL introspection bypass in system endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35413-directus-graphql-introspection-bypass-in-system-endpoint)