CVE-2025-59152

Status: DeferredHigh (7.5)—

Litestar is an Asynchronous Server Gateway Interface (ASGI) framework. In version 2.17.0, rate limits can be completely bypassed by manipulating the X-Forwarded-For header. This renders IP-based rate limiting ineffective against determined attackers. Litestar's RateLimitMiddleware uses `cache_key_from_request()` to generate cache keys for rate limiting. When an X-Forwarded-For header is present, the middleware trusts it unconditionally and uses its value as part of the client identifier.

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Since clients can set arbitrary X-Forwarded-For values, each different spoofed IP creates a separate rate limit bucket. An attacker can rotate through different header values to avoid hitting any single bucket's limit. This affects any Litestar application using RateLimitMiddleware with default settings, which likely includes most applications that implement rate limiting. Version 2.18.0 contains a patch for the vulnerability.

CVSS

Version: 3.1
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Base score: 7.5

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.48%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 40
Score date: 10/5/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

🎯 ATT&CK techniques

How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

ExploitationT1190 Exploit Public-Facing Applicationinitial access85 %
Primary impactT1499.004 Application or System Exploitationimpact80 %

Vulnerabilidad de aplicación web expuesta (AV:N, PR:N) que permite eludir protecciones de rate limiting manipulando headers HTTP, causando denegación de servicio por agotamiento de recursos.

Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.

🛡️ ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques

Filter Network Traffic Vulnerability Scanning Privileged Account Management Network Segmentation Limit Access to Resource Over Network Application Isolation and Sandboxing

Affected technologies (1)

⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.

Litestar — Litestar^AI

CWEs

CWE-807

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

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