CVE-2024-50311 in graphql
Summary
by MITRE • 10/22/2024
A denial of service (DoS) vulnerability was found in OpenShift. This flaw allows attackers to exploit the GraphQL batching functionality. The vulnerability arises when multiple queries can be sent within a single request, enabling an attacker to submit a request containing thousands of aliases in one query. This issue causes excessive resource consumption, leading to application unavailability for legitimate users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2025
This denial of service vulnerability exists within the OpenShift platform's GraphQL implementation and represents a significant threat to system availability and operational continuity. The flaw specifically targets the GraphQL batching functionality that allows multiple queries to be executed within a single request, a common pattern in modern web applications for improving performance by reducing network overhead. When exploited, this vulnerability enables attackers to craft malicious requests containing thousands of aliases within a single GraphQL query, creating a resource exhaustion scenario that can overwhelm the system's processing capabilities and render the application unavailable to legitimate users.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and resource management within the GraphQL query processing layer. When multiple queries are batched together, the system must parse, validate, and execute each individual query within the batch. The flaw occurs because the system does not adequately limit the number of aliases or queries that can be included in a single request, allowing attackers to exponentially increase the computational load through a single malicious request. This issue falls under the CWE-400 category of Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, specifically targeting the processing resources required to handle GraphQL query batches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to cascading failures within the OpenShift environment and affect multiple applications running on the platform. Legitimate users may experience complete service unavailability during exploitation, while the system's resource consumption patterns can trigger automatic scaling mechanisms or alerting systems that may mask the true nature of the attack. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform sustained denial of service attacks without requiring significant computational resources themselves, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments where resources are shared and costs are metered.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict rate limiting and query complexity controls within the GraphQL endpoint configuration. Organizations should configure maximum query depth and maximum query complexity parameters to prevent excessive resource consumption, while also implementing request size limits that restrict the number of queries or aliases that can be processed in a single batch. The implementation should align with ATT&CK framework techniques related to resource exhaustion and application layer attacks, specifically targeting T1499.004 for network denial of service and T1566.002 for phishing with a malicious attachment. Additionally, monitoring and alerting systems should be configured to detect unusual query patterns and sudden spikes in resource utilization that may indicate exploitation attempts.