CVE-2025-48044 in ash
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2025
Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in ash-project ash allows Authentication Bypass. This vulnerability is associated with program files lib/ash/policy/policy.ex and program routines 'Elixir.Ash.Policy.Policy':expression/2.
This issue affects ash: from pkg:hex/[email protected] before pkg:hex/[email protected], from 3.6.3 before 3.7.1, from 79749c2685ea031ebb2de8cf60cc5edced6a8dd0 before 8b83efa225f657bfc3656ad8ee8485f9b2de923d.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2025
The CVE-2025-48044 vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw within the ash project, specifically impacting the Elixir-based application framework that handles policy enforcement and access control mechanisms. This vulnerability manifests as an authentication bypass condition that allows unauthorized users to circumvent the intended security controls implemented by the ash framework. The flaw is deeply embedded within the policy evaluation system, particularly affecting the Elixir.Ash.Policy.Policy:expression/2 routine and related components located in the lib/ash/policy/policy.ex file path. The vulnerability's scope encompasses versions of the ash framework from 3.6.3 through 3.7.0, with the affected code range spanning from commit 79749c2685ea031ebb2de8cf60cc5edced6a8dd0 to 8b83efa225f657bfc3656ad8ee8485f9b2de923d, indicating a specific regression or code change that introduced the authorization weakness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of access control policies within the ash framework's policy evaluation engine. When the Elixir.Ash.Policy.Policy:expression/2 function processes authorization requests, it fails to adequately verify the credentials or permissions of the requesting entity, potentially allowing malformed or unauthenticated requests to be processed as legitimate. This flaw operates at the policy enforcement point where access control decisions should be made, creating a pathway for attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-285, which specifically addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.1.001 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments, as unauthorized access could enable attackers to leverage the bypassed authentication for further exploitation within the system. The root cause likely involves insufficient input validation or incorrect logic flow in the policy evaluation process that fails to properly distinguish between authorized and unauthorized access attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary operations within systems protected by the ash framework. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to restricted resources, modify data, or perform administrative functions without proper authentication. This authentication bypass could lead to complete system compromise when combined with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors, particularly in environments where ash is used for API access control or database query authorization. The vulnerability affects applications that rely on ash's policy enforcement mechanisms, potentially exposing sensitive data and system functionalities to unauthorized parties. Organizations using the affected versions of ash should consider this vulnerability as a critical threat that could result in data breaches, service disruption, or regulatory compliance violations. The impact is particularly severe in multi-tenant environments or systems where fine-grained access control is essential for maintaining data isolation and security boundaries.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-48044 should prioritize immediate version upgrades to ash framework versions 3.7.1 or later, where the authorization flaw has been patched. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control monitoring and logging to detect potential exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual access patterns or unauthorized requests that might indicate successful bypass attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough code reviews of any custom policies or extensions built on top of the ash framework to ensure they do not introduce additional authorization weaknesses. Network segmentation and additional authentication layers should be considered as temporary compensating controls while awaiting the deployment of patched versions. The vulnerability's remediation aligns with NIST SP 800-53 control AC-3 for access enforcement and AC-7 for access restrictions, emphasizing the need for proper authorization controls and continuous monitoring of access patterns. Organizations should also implement automated vulnerability scanning processes that can detect the presence of vulnerable ash versions in their software supply chain and ensure that all dependencies are regularly updated to maintain security posture against known vulnerabilities.