Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:LSummary
CVE-2025-55746 is a critical-severity External Control of File Name or Path (CWE-73) vulnerability in Monospace Directus. Its CVSS base score is 9.3 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked in the top 32% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-3 (Malicious Code Protection) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-55746 is a high-severity vulnerability in the file update mechanism of Directus, an open-source real-time API and app dashboard for managing SQL database content. It affects versions from 10.8.0 up to but not including 11.9.3. The flaw enables unauthenticated actors to modify the contents of existing files with arbitrary data—without updating the files' metadata stored in the database—or to upload entirely new files with arbitrary content and file extensions. These changes do not appear in the Directus UI, allowing stealthy alterations. The issue is rated 9.3 on the CVSS v3.1 scale (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:L) and is associated with CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path) and CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type).
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to tamper with existing files on the server by overwriting their contents arbitrarily, potentially injecting malicious code or data while leaving database metadata intact to evade detection. Attackers can also upload new files with dangerous extensions or payloads that remain hidden from the Directus user interface, enabling persistent storage of malware, backdoors, or other harmful content for later retrieval or execution.
The vulnerability was fixed in Directus version 11.9.3, as detailed in the project's security advisory (GHSA-mv33-9f6j-pfmc) and the corresponding commit (d84dcc36f75fc5c858d43746b8f9c426c38d696b). Security practitioners should immediately upgrade to 11.9.3 or later, review file storage directories for unauthorized modifications or hidden uploads, and implement network access controls to restrict unauthenticated API endpoints until patching is complete.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-25355
Vulnerability Data
Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. From 10.8.0 to before 11.9.3, a vulnerability exists in the file update mechanism which allows an unauthenticated actor to modify existing files with arbitrary contents (without changes…
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being applied to the files' database-resident metadata) and / or upload new files, with arbitrary content and extensions, which won't show up in the Directus UI. This vulnerability is fixed in 11.9.3.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V5.1.1V5.3.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Input validation directly rejects or sanitizes untrusted path strings before they reach filesystem operations.
Malicious-code protection at entry points blocks dangerous file types from being accepted and executed.
Enforces authorization checks on the actual resource accessed, blocking unauthorized files even when a malicious path is supplied.
Least-privilege limits the set of files or directories any subject can affect, shrinking the blast radius of a path-control flaw.
Least functionality restricts the file types and automatic processing capabilities the system will accept.
Mobile-code controls define, authorize, and block unacceptable uploaded code before automatic processing occurs.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices include input validation and path sanitization that eliminate this weakness.
Least-privilege file authorization directly limits damage from externally controlled paths.
Restricting execution of unauthorized software directly blocks dangerous uploaded files from running.
Hardened configuration baselines can enforce allowed file types and processing rules.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect path-traversal issues but does not itself implement preventive controls.
Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and path-handling controls that directly prevent external file/path manipulation.
Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against untrusted input influencing file operations.
Secure architecture principles discourage unsafe path construction but do not prescribe concrete file-name controls.
Secure coding standards require canonicalization, allow-listing, and bounds checks on file paths, directly eliminating CWE-73.
Information access restriction limits which files can be reached, indirectly reducing impact of path manipulation.