# CVE-2025-53889: Directus missing permission checks for manual trigger Flows

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-53889-directus-missing-permission-checks-for-manual-trigger-flows  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2025-07-15. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2025-53889 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2025-07-15

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.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2025-53889 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2025-53889 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2025-53889?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 15 July 2025.

**Which products and versions are affected?** directus (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=11.9.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2025-53889?** Yes. directus (npm): upgrade to 11.9.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2025-53889 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2025-53889?** 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 11.9.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install directus@11.9.0
  ```


## 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

## Identifiers

- CVE-2025-53889
- GHSA-7cvf-pxgp-42fc

## Timeline

- 2025-07-15: disclosed
- 2025-07-15: patched: Fixed in v11.9.0

## References

- [https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-7cvf-pxgp-42fc](https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-7cvf-pxgp-42fc)

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