# CVE-2023-26492: Directus server-side request forgery on file import

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-26492-directus-server-side-request-forgery-on-file-import  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2023-03-03. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2023-26492 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2023-03-03

Directus is an open-source headless CMS and API platform used to manage and expose data. Versions through 9.22.4 allow attackers to bypass IP filtering on the file import feature through DNS rebinding attacks, enabling access to sensitive internal services (such as AWS metadata APIs) and data theft from private networks or cloud infrastructure.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2023-26492 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2023-26492 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2023-26492?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 3 March 2023.

**Which products and versions are affected?** directus (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=9.23.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2023-26492?** Yes. directus (npm): upgrade to 9.23.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2023-26492 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2023-26492?** 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 9.23.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install directus@9.23.0
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability is a server-side request forgery (SSRF) in the POST /files/import endpoint caused by a time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition in DNS validation. The file import service validates a URL by performing DNS resolution and checking the resulting IP address against a deny list, but the attacker-controlled DNS server can return different IP addresses on subsequent resolutions during the actual file fetch. An authenticated attacker can exploit DNS rebinding to make the initial validation resolve to an allowlisted external IP, then cause the subsequent axios HTTP request to resolve to an internal IP (such as 127.0.0.1 or AWS metadata service at 169.254.169.254), bypassing the deny list protection from the prior CVE-2022-23080 patch. This allows exfiltration of data from internal servers or stealing cloud credentials. The issue was fixed in version 9.23.0.

## Affected products

- Directus Directus <=9.22.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2023-26492
- GHSA-j3rg-3rgm-537h

## Timeline

- 2023-03-03: disclosed
- 2023-03-03: patched: Fixed in v9.23.0

## References

- [https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-j3rg-3rgm-537h](https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-j3rg-3rgm-537h)

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- [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)