CVE-2025-49011 is a low-severity (CVSS 3.7) CWE-358 vulnerability in github.com/authzed/spicedb. A fix is available for github.com/authzed/spicedb — see the affected versions and patch details below.
SpiceDB checks involving relations with caveats can result in no permission when permission is expected
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2025-49011.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2025-49011 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/authzed/spicedbReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
On schemas involving arrows with caveats on the arrow’ed relation, when the path to resolve a CheckPermission request involves the evaluation of multiple caveated branches, requests may return a negative response when a positive response is expected.
For example, given this schema:
definition user {}
definition office {
relation parent: office
relation manager: user
permission read = manager + parent->read
}
definition group {
relation parent: office
permission read = parent->read
}
definition document {
relation owner: group with equals
permission read = owner->read
}
caveat equals(actual string, required string) {
actual == required
}
and these relationships:
office:headoffice#manager@user:maria
office:branch1#parent@office:headoffice
group:admins#parent@office:branch1
group:managers#parent@office:headoffice
document:budget#owner@group:admins[equals:{"required":"admin"}]
document:budget#owner@group:managers[equals:{"required":"manager"}]
Permission for 'document:budget#read@user:maria with {"actual" : "admin"}' is returned as NO_PERMISSION when HAS_PERMISSION is the correct answer.
Patches
Upgrade to v1.44.2.
Workarounds
Do not use caveats in your schema over an arrow’ed relation.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/authzed/spicedb | all versions | 1.44.2go get github.com/authzed/spicedb@v1.44.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/authzed/spicedb, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/authzed/spicedb to 1.44.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-49011 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2025-49011 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-49011. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2025-49011 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-49011 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.