CVE-2026-81636
Query-complexity limit bypass via first/last pagination arguments in AshGraphql enables denial of service
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 8.7 High
- Published
- Aug 30, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 31, 2026
- Reserved
- Aug 30, 2026
Description
Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in ash-project ash_graphql allows an unauthenticated client to bypass the configured GraphQL query-complexity limit and force an unbounded database read.
AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver.query_complexity/3 multiplies child complexity by the requested page size only when the argument map contains :limit (offset pagination). Relay connections and keyset pagination use first and last, which never match that clause and fall through to the catch-all that returns child_complexity + 1. A nested relay query such as posts(first: 500) { edges { node { comments(first: 500) { ... } } } } therefore scores as trivially cheap while materializing the full fan-out, passing an Absinthe max_complexity cap that rejects the equivalent limit-based query. The fix adds first and last clauses clamped to the action's page size.
This issue affects ash_graphql: from 0.16.23 before 1.11.0.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 8.7 High | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N | EEF |
Weaknesses
- CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
ash_graphqlash-project |
|
ash_graphqlash-project |
|
References
- https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/security/advisories/GHSA-mwc4-r9fc-h6mgvendor-advisoryrelated
- https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-81636.htmlrelated
- https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-81636related
- https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/commit/c3229f6a65cbabb32fd7ffcac881922d1b3b30adpatch
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