milvus: Improper Authentication
CVE-2025-64513 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in milvus from Milvus-io, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected milvus versions: < 2.4.24; >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.21; >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.5. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.87% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 59% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of milvus you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milvus-io | milvus | < 2.4.24; >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.21; >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.5 | Not stated |
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.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Milvus is an open-source vector database built for generative AI applications. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit a vulnerability in versions prior to 2.4.24, 2.5.21, and 2.6.5 to bypass all authentication mechanisms in the Milvus Proxy component, gaining full administrative access to the Milvus cluster. This grants the attacker the ability to read, modify, or delete data, and to perform privileged administrative operations such as database or collection management. This issue has been fixed in Milvus 2.4.24, 2.5.21, and 2.6.5. If immediate upgrade is not possible, a temporary mitigation can be applied by removing the sourceID header from all incoming requests at the gateway, API gateway, or load balancer level before they reach the Milvus Proxy. This prevents attackers from exploiting the authentication bypass behavior.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in milvus
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 9.3 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.6 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.1 High severity
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