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Critical 9.3Published Oct 9, 2025

CVE-2025-61928Better Auth: Unauthenticated API key creation through api-key plugin

Updated under an hour ago ()

Does this affect you?

It affects better-auth. Add what you run to find out whether that includes you.

No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.

Better Auth is an authentication and authorization library for TypeScript. In versions prior to 1.3.26, unauthenticated attackers can create or modify API keys for any user by passing that user's id in the request body to the `api/auth/api-key/create` route. `session?.user ?? (authRequired ? null : { id: ctx.body.userId })`. When no session exists but `userId` is present in the request body, `authRequired` becomes false and the user object is set to the attacker-controlled ID. Server-only field validation only executes when `authRequired` is true (lines 280-295), allowing attackers to set privileged fields. No additional authentication occurs before the database operation, so the malicious payload is accepted. The same pattern exists in the update endpoint. This is a critical authentication bypass enabling full an unauthenticated attacker can generate an API key for any user and immediately gain complete authenticated access. This allows the attacker to perform any action as the victim user using the api key, potentially compromise the user data and the application depending on the victim's privileges. Version 1.3.26 contains a patch for the issue.

CVSS
9.3 CRITICAL (v4.0, CNA)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
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-285, CWE-306
Known exploited
Not in CISA's KEV catalog
EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)
Not loaded for this CVE
Assigned by
GitHub_M
NVD analysis
Deferred
Record last updated
Oct 10, 2025
First seen by InfoSec Signals
Oct 9, 2026

Affected products

Affected products
better-auth better-auth
better_auth:better_auth (from the name)
before 1.3.26
CNA record

References

References

The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

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