CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-11969NVD status: Awaiting Analysis

WSO2 API Manager: Improper Authorization

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-11969 is a critical-severity improper authorization vulnerability in WSO2 API Manager from WSO2, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.4 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 3.1.0.347, 3.2.0.450, 3.2.1.70 as the first without the flaw, so updating WSO2 API Manager to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.32% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update WSO2 API Manager to 3.1.0.347 or 3.2.0.450 or 3.2.1.70 or 4.0.0.370, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update WSO2 Identity Server as Key Manager to 5.10.0.367 or a later version.
  3. Update WSO2 Open Banking AM to 2.0.0.396 or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on security.docs.wso2.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  5. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
WSO2WSO2 API Manager3.1.0 up to, but not including, 3.1.0.347; 3.2.0 up to, but not including, 3.2.0.450; 3.2.1 up to, but not including, 3.2.1.70; 4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.0.0.370; 4.1.0 up to, but not including, 4.1.0.233; 4.2.0 up to, but not including, 4.2.0.173; 4.3.0 up to, but not including, 4.3.0.85; 4.4.0 up to, but not including, 4.4.0.49; and 1 more ranges3.1.0.347, 3.2.0.450, 3.2.1.70, 4.0.0.370, 4.1.0.233, 4.2.0.173
WSO2WSO2 Identity Server as Key Manager5.10.0 up to, but not including, 5.10.0.3675.10.0.367
WSO2WSO2 Open Banking AM2.0.0 up to, but not including, 2.0.0.3962.0.0.396
WSO2WSO2 Open Banking IAM2.0.0 up to, but not including, 2.0.0.4162.0.0.416
WSO2WSO2 API Control Plane4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.334.5.0.33
WSO2WSO2 Universal Gateway4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.314.5.0.31
WSO2WSO2 Traffic Manager4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.314.5.0.31
WSO2WSO2 Carbon API Manager Rest API Utility6.6.163 up to, but not including, 6.6.163.159; 6.6.163 up to, but not including, 6.6.163.160; 6.7.206 up to, but not including, 6.7.206.574; 6.7.206 up to, but not including, 6.7.206.576; 6.7.210 up to, but not including, 6.7.210.69; 6.7.210 up to, but not including, 6.7.210.71; 9.0.174 up to, but not including, 9.0.174.536; 9.20.74 up to, but not including, 9.20.74.384; and 5 more ranges6.6.163.159, 6.6.163.160, 6.7.206.574, 6.7.206.576, 6.7.210.69, 6.7.210.71
WSO2WSO2 Carbon API Manager Rest API Common Functions9.0.174 up to, but not including, 9.0.174.538; 9.20.74 up to, but not including, 9.20.74.385; 9.28.116 up to, but not including, 9.28.116.382; 9.29.120 up to, but not including, 9.29.120.204; 9.30.67 up to, but not including, 9.30.67.126; 9.31.86 up to, but not including, 9.31.86.919.0.174.538, 9.20.74.385, 9.28.116.382, 9.29.120.204, 9.30.67.126, 9.31.86.91

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
LowPerformance or availability is reduced.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L. Scored by CNA.

Official description

The System REST APIs do not correctly enforce access control mechanisms, allowing users with lower privilege roles to execute administrative actions that should be restricted. This weakness permits unauthorized operations on the affected product. Successful exploitation could enable a malicious actor to perform unauthorized administrative operations, including executing administrative functions. APIs exposed through the WSO2 API Manager's API Gateway are not affected by this vulnerability.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Authorization

The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
  • Ensure that you perform access control checks related to your business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that you apply to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature.

More Improper Authorization vulnerabilities (CWE-285)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Our coverage

Other vulnerabilities in WSO2 API Manager

All WSO2 API Manager vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Authorization vulnerabilities

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