# CVE-2022-36051: Broken Authorization in ZITADEL Actions

> Attackers with ORG_OWNER role can use Actions to grant unauthorized access to other organizations' projects due to missing authorization checks.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 31 Aug 2022
- **Updated:** 23 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c8fj-4pm8-mp2c

## What is CVE-2022-36051?

CVE-2022-36051 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in zitadel, published on 31 Aug 2022. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ZITADEL combines the ease of Auth0 and the versatility of Keycloak.**Actions**, introduced in ZITADEL **1.42.0** on the API and **1.56.0** for Console, is a feature, where users with role.`ORG_OWNER` are able to create Javascript Code, which is invoked by the system at certain points during the login. **Actions**, for example, allow creating authorizations (user grants) on newly created users programmatically. Due to a missing authorization check, **Actions** were able to grant authorizations for projects that belong to other organizations inside the same Instance. Granting authorizations via API and Console is not affected by this vulnerability. There is currently no known workaround, users should update.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), CWE-436 (Interpretation Conflict)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-36051?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/zitadel/zitadel. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/zitadel/zitadel` | Go | From 1.42.0 | 1.87.1 |
| `github.com/zitadel/zitadel` | Go | From 1.42.0 | 1.87.1 |
| `github.com/zitadel/zitadel` | Go | From 2.0.0 | 2.2.0 |
| `github.com/zitadel/zitadel` | Go | From 2.0.0 | 2.2.0 |

Products: Zitadel Zitadel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-36051?

Upgrade github.com/zitadel/zitadel to a fixed version for your release line: 1.87.1 or 2.2.0.

## Is CVE-2022-36051 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-36051 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in zitadel

- [CVE-2026-29191](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-29191/): ZITADEL: 1-Click Account Takeover via XSS in /saml-post Endpoint (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-67494](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-67494/): ZITADEL Vulnerable to Unauthenticated Full-Read SSRF via V2 Login (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-27507](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-27507/): IDOR Vulnerabilities in ZITADEL's Admin API that Primarily Impact LDAP Configurations (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2025-64103](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-64103/): Zitadel Bypass Second Authentication Factor (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-31123](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31123/): Zitadel Expired JWT Keys Usable for Authorization Grants (high 8.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-36051 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-36051 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in zitadel, published on 31 Aug 2022. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-36051 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/zitadel/zitadel (Go): affected from 1.42.0; fixed in 1.87.1
- github.com/zitadel/zitadel (Go): affected from 1.42.0; fixed in 1.87.1
- github.com/zitadel/zitadel (Go): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 2.2.0
- github.com/zitadel/zitadel (Go): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 2.2.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36051/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36051/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-36051
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-36051
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-36051

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36051/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.