CVE-2025-48044 is an incorrect authorization vulnerability classified under CWE-863 found in the ash-project's ash library, specifically in versions from 3.6.3 up to but not including 3.7.1. The vulnerability resides in the policy enforcement code located in lib/ash/policy/policy.ex, particularly within the Elixir.Ash.Policy.Policy module's expression/2 function. This flaw allows an attacker with low privileges (PR:L) to bypass authentication mechanisms (AT:N) without requiring user interaction (UI:N), enabling unauthorized access to protected resources or operations. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.6 reflects a high severity due to network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), and high impact on confidentiality and integrity (VC:H, VI:H). The vulnerability does not affect availability and does not require privileges beyond low-level access, making exploitation feasible in many deployment scenarios. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to applications relying on the affected ash versions for authorization logic. The ash library is used in Elixir-based applications, which are increasingly adopted in modern web services and backend systems. The vulnerability's root cause is an incorrect authorization check that fails to properly enforce policy constraints, allowing attackers to perform actions or access data without proper permissions. The fix involves correcting the authorization logic in the policy module, which is addressed in ash version 3.7.1 and later.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-48044 can be substantial, especially those developing or deploying applications using the ash library in Elixir environments. Unauthorized access due to authentication bypass can lead to exposure of sensitive data, unauthorized modification of critical information, and potential lateral movement within networks. This can compromise confidentiality and integrity of business-critical systems and data. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, which handle sensitive personal or financial data, are particularly at risk. The vulnerability could also undermine trust in software supply chains if exploited in widely used applications. Given the network-based attack vector and lack of required user interaction, attackers can remotely exploit this flaw, increasing the threat surface. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not diminish the urgency of remediation due to the vulnerability’s high severity and ease of exploitation.

To mitigate CVE-2025-48044, organizations should immediately upgrade all instances of the ash library to version 3.7.1 or later, where the authorization bypass flaw has been corrected. In addition, developers should audit their application’s use of ash policies to ensure that authorization rules are correctly defined and enforced, avoiding overly permissive configurations. Implement rigorous testing of authorization logic, including unit and integration tests that simulate unauthorized access attempts. Employ runtime monitoring and anomaly detection to identify unusual access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Where possible, apply network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems running vulnerable ash versions. Maintain an up-to-date inventory of software dependencies to quickly identify and remediate vulnerable components. Finally, stay informed about any emerging exploits or patches related to this vulnerability through trusted threat intelligence sources.