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DirectusApplication · Monospace

CVE-2026-61836

HIGH · 8.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.0.0 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click 5 weeks old

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Prior to 12.0.0, when response caching is enabled, the cache-key derivation in api/src/utils/get-cache-key.ts includes version, path, query, and accountability.user but omits authorization context such as share, role, roles, admin, app, and policies. Directus share tokens and anonymous requests can both reduce to user null, so different shares or anonymous clients requesting the same URL and query can receive a permission-filtered cached response without permission re-evaluation. This issue is fixed in version 12.0.0.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Directus prior to 12.0.0, response caching uses an incomplete cache key that includes version, path, query, and user ID but omits authorization context (share tokens, roles, policies). This allows different share tokens or anonymous users to receive cached responses filtered for other permission contexts, enabling cross-tenant or privilege escalation information disclosure.

MitigationUpgrade Directus to version 12.0.0 or later where the cache key properly includes authorization context, or disable response caching if immediate upgrade is not feasible.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
DirectusApplication
Affected:< 12.0.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Directus installation and version
    Check package.json in the Directus root directory for the version field, or run 'npm list directus' to see the installed version
    Affected if Installed version is before 12.0.0
  2. Confirm response caching is enabled
    Check the Directus configuration file (typically .env or config/*) for 'CACHE_ENABLED=true' or 'CACHE' settings that enable response caching
    Affected if Response caching is enabled in the configuration
  3. Check if anonymous access is enabled
    Inspect the Directus database or configuration for 'AUTH_ANONYMOUS' setting or check the permissions table for a role with null user that has active permissions
    Affected if Anonymous access is enabled (role with null user has API permissions)
  4. Check if shared access is enabled
    Verify if Directus Data Sharing module is active or if 'SHARES' feature is enabled in the configuration
    Affected if Data sharing is enabled and shared links can be created

You are affected if running Directus version below 12.0.0 with response caching enabled while either anonymous access or data sharing is also enabled, as the missing authorization context in cache keys allows cross-user authorization bypass.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 12.0.0 or later
Fixed in 12.0.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Directus to version 12.0.0 or later where the cache key properly includes authorization context, or disable response caching if immediate upgrade is not feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

12.0.0

  1. 1. Review the Directus 12.0.0 release notes and upgrade guide for any migration requirements
  2. 2. Create a complete backup of your Directus database before upgrading
  3. 3. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment first
  4. 4. Upgrade your Directus installation to version 12.0.0
  5. 5. Verify that response caching works correctly with proper authorization context after upgrade
Caveat Major version upgrade from pre-12.x to 12.0.0 may include breaking changes; review release notes for migration details

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Directus Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-61836 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data