Strapi has a rate limit bypass on users-permissions plugin via attacker-controlled email keying
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-307.
Summary
Strapi is an open source headless content management system. In Strapi versions prior to 5.45.0, the rate-limit middleware in the users-permissions plugin derived its rate-limit key in part from `ctx.request.body.email`, including on routes whose body schema does not contain an `email` field (`/auth/local`, `/auth/reset-password`, `/auth/change-password`). An unauthenticated attacker could include an arbitrary `email` value in the request body to obtain a fresh rate-limit key per request, effectively bypassing per-IP throttling on those routes and enabling high-volume credential brute-force, password-reset code brute-force, and credential-stuffing attempts. The rate-limit key was constructed as `${userIdentifier}:${requestPath}:${ctx.request.ip}`, where `userIdentifier = ctx.request.body.email`. On routes that legitimately use email as their identifier (e.g. `/auth/forgot-password`, `/auth/local/register`), this scoping is correct. On routes that use a different identifier (`identifier` for login, `code` for password reset, `currentPassword` for password change), the email field was not part of the route contract, but the middleware still incorporated it into the key, allowing a caller to rotate the value and obtain a unique key on every request. The patch in version 5.45.0 maintains an allow-list of routes that legitimately key on the email field and excludes that key component on every other route the middleware is mounted on. OAuth callback paths (`/connect/*`) are treated identifier-less. On routes outside the allow-list, the middleware now falls back to a fixed identifier-less key, ensuring per-IP throttling remains effective even when the request body is attacker-controlled.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strapi | strapi | before 5.45.0 | 5.45.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| Strapi | @strapi/plugin-users-permissions | before 5.45.0 | 5.45.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | @strapi/plugin-users-permissions (npm) | before 5.45.0 | 5.45.0 | Patch available | GHSA-7mqx-wwh4-f9fw |
- strapi VendorStrapi Affected before 5.45.0 Fixed in 5.45.0 Patch available CNA
- @strapi/plugin-users-permissions VendorStrapi Affected before 5.45.0 Fixed in 5.45.0 Patch available CNA
- @strapi/plugin-users-permissions (npm) Vendor— Affected before 5.45.0 Fixed in 5.45.0 Patch available GHSA-7mqx-wwh4-f9fw
Remediation
- Fix · CNA strapi (strapi) Fixed in 5.45.0
- Fix · CNA @strapi/plugin-users-permissions (strapi) Fixed in 5.45.0
- Fix · GHSA-7mqx-wwh4-f9fw @strapi/plugin-users-permissions (npm) Fixed in 5.45.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-64526
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7mqx-wwh4-f9fw
References
Patch 2
Advisory 2
More Strapi vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-09037 Query filter flaw in Strapi exposes sensitive user details KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
- TI-2019-13554 strapi before 3.0.0-beta.17.5 mishandles password resets within… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-19887 Strapi Improper Rate Limiting vulnerability CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-08803 Strapi through 4.5.5 allows authenticated Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) that can… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2024-25161 Strapi v4.24.4 was discovered to contain a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) via the… CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2023-17071 Leaking sensitive user information still possible by filtering on private with prefix fields CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
Sources
- CVE-2025-64526 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-64526 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7mqx-wwh4-f9fw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences