# CVE-2024-54151: Directus allows unauthenticated access to WebSocket events and operations

> Unauthenticated users can perform admin-level CRUD and subscription operations if WebSocket authentication is explicitly set to public.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 10 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-849r-qrwj-8rv4

## What is CVE-2024-54151?

CVE-2024-54151 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Monospace Directus, published on 9 Dec 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Starting in version 11.0.0 and prior to version 11.3.0, when setting `WEBSOCKETS_GRAPHQL_AUTH` or `WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH` to "public", an unauthenticated user is able to do any of the supported operations (CRUD, subscriptions) with full admin privileges. This impacts any Directus instance that has either `WEBSOCKETS_GRAPHQL_AUTH` or `WEBSOCKETS_REST_AUTH` set to `public` allowing unauthenticated users to subscribe for changes on any collection or do REST CRUD operations on user defined collections ignoring permissions. Version 11.3.0 fixes the issue.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-54151?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including @directus/api and directus. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `@directus/api` | npm | From 22.2.0 | 23.2.0 |
| `@directus/api` | npm | From 22.2.0 | 23.2.0 |
| `directus` | npm | From 11.0.0 | 11.3.0 |
| `directus` | npm | From 11.0.0 | 11.3.0 |

Products: Monospace Directus.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-54151?

Upgrade @directus/api to 23.2.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2024-54151 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-54151 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-2024-54151 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-54151 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Monospace Directus, published on 9 Dec 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-54151 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- @directus/api (npm): affected from 22.2.0; fixed in 23.2.0
- @directus/api (npm): affected from 22.2.0; fixed in 23.2.0
- directus (npm): affected from 11.0.0; fixed in 11.3.0
- directus (npm): affected from 11.0.0; fixed in 11.3.0

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-2024-54151/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-54151/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-54151
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-54151
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-54151

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-54151/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.