Executive brief
Directus is an open-source headless CMS that allows administrators to create automated workflows called Flows. An insufficient permission validation flaw enables unauthenticated users to trigger these manual-mode Flows without proper authorization checks. Attackers can invoke Flows with arbitrary payloads, potentially causing the system to execute unintended actions such as data modifications or deletions on their behalf.
Technical details
The vulnerability stems from missing permission validation in Directus' manual trigger Flows endpoint. When a user attempts to trigger a Flow manually, the application fails to verify whether the requester has read access to the directus_flows collection or the relevant data collections and items referenced in the Flow payload. The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction; an attacker can craft HTTP requests to directly invoke manual Flows with arbitrary payloads. Depending on the Flow's configuration, this can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The issue affects Directus versions >= v9.12.0 through v11.8.x, with a patch available in v11.9.0.
Affected products
- Directus Directus >= 9.12.0, < 11.9.0
Timeline
- 2025-07-15: disclosed
- 2025-07-15: patched: Fixed in v11.9.0