# CVE-2023-28443: directus vulnerable to Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File

> Attackers can steal refresh tokens from logs to impersonate users and access sensitive data in Directus installations.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8vg2-wf3q-mwv7

## What is CVE-2023-28443?

CVE-2023-28443 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Monospace Directus, published on 23 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Prior to version 9.23.3, the `directus_refresh_token` is not redacted properly from the log outputs and can be used to impersonate users without their permission. This issue is patched in version 9.23.3.

Weakness: CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File), CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-28443?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including directus. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `directus` | npm | All versions | 9.23.3 |
| `directus` | npm | All versions | 9.23.3 |

Products: Monospace Directus.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-28443?

Upgrade directus to 9.23.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-28443 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-28443 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Monospace Directus

- [CVE-2022-26969](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26969/): Insecure default value for CORS configuration (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-55746](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55746/): Directus allows unauthenticated file upload and file modification due to lacking input sanitization (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2026-35408](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35408/): Directus is Missing Cross-Origin Opener Policy (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-61836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-61836/): Directus: Authorization-dependent response served from unsegmented cache key (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2025-30353](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-30353/): Directus's webhook trigger flows can leak sensitive data (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-28443 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-28443 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Monospace Directus, published on 23 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-28443 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- directus (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 9.23.3
- directus (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 9.23.3

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-2023-28443/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28443/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28443
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28443
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28443

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28443/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.