{"id":"CVE-2023-28443","aliases":["GHSA-8vg2-wf3q-mwv7"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28443","summary":"directus vulnerable to Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File","details":"### Summary\n\nCWE-532: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File discovered in v9.23.1. The `directus_refresh_token` is not redacted properly from the log outputs and can be used to impersonate users without their permission. \n\n### Details\n\nUsing `v9.23.1`, I am seeing that the `directus_refresh_token` is not properly redacted as indicated by https://github.com/directus/directus/blob/7c479c5161639aac466c763b6b958a9524201d74/api/src/logger.ts#L13\n\nI'm classifying this as a security vulnerability because if someone has access to the log outputs, for example with a shared Cloud account or Splunk implementation, they could exchange the refresh token using `/auth/refresh` for an access token and use the token to perform actions on behalf of an unsuspecting user. This situation creates issues with accountability and non-repudiation because we can no longer have confidence that actions taken in the application were authorized or even performed by the logged-in user. \n\nA couple of examples of this are:\n- A disgruntled employee deletes all of the data to get even with a target team member before logging off on their last day\n- Under the guise of their unsuspecting boss, a mischievous engineer uploads _questionable_ images that get displayed on internal or external facing content sites\n\nThe list could go on but I think these communicate the risk of an internal threat that has access to this information 😆 \n\n### PoC\n1. Set `LOG_STYLE=\"raw\"` and run Directus v9.23.1\n1. Log in to the application\n1. Look at the shell output and see that `directus_refresh_token` is logged\n    > Note: This is different from the standard `raw` output format. I intentionally ran this with `npx directus start | pino-pretty` so logs would be easier to read. It can also be reproduced by running `npx directus start` alone. \n\n    ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/13325146/224877190-54e12d7e-3c3e-42d3-9e21-0bd4439f4f44.png)\n\n1. Exchange the `directus_refresh_token` for an `access_token`\n\n     ``` shell\n      curl -X POST \\\n        'http://0.0.0.0:8055/auth/refresh' \\\n        --header 'Accept: */*' \\\n        --header 'Cookie: directus_refresh_token=$shh'\n     ```\n\n### Impact\nBecause this can be used to exploit other threats related to  [CWE-284: Improper Access Control](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/284.html) I rank it with a Moderate severity. An insider with knowledge of this could do many mischievous things and get away with them for a long time without victims knowing about it. \n","published":"2023-03-23T23:13:58.299Z","modified":"2026-08-12T03:51:15.724672062Z","cvss":{"score":4.2,"severity":"MEDIUM","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"},"epss":{"score":0.00312,"percentile":0.23314,"asOf":"2026-08-25"},"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":1,"affectedPackages":[{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"directus","fixedVersion":"9.23.3"}],"fix":{"url":"https://github.com/directus/directus/commit/349536303983ccba68ecb3e4fb35315424011afc","label":"directus/directus@3495363"},"references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/directus/directus/blob/7c479c5161639aac466c763b6b958a9524201d74/api/src/logger.ts#L13"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/28xxx/CVE-2023-28443.json"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-8vg2-wf3q-mwv7"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28443"},{"type":"FIX","url":"https://github.com/directus/directus/commit/349536303983ccba68ecb3e4fb35315424011afc"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/directus/directus"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-08-12T03:51:15.724672062Z"}}