CVE-2026-59289 in Spring for GraphQL
Summary
by MITRE • 08/27/2026
Spring for GraphQL's Spring Data pagination support resolves arguments of a scrollable query and forwards the client-supplied values to the underlying repository. An attacker can forge a malicious query for a Connection field that can exhaust application memory or place significant, prolonged load on the underlying datastore, resulting in a Denial of Service. Spring for GraphQL 2.0.0 - 2.0.4 Spring for GraphQL 1.4.0 - 1.4.6 Spring for GraphQL 1.2.0 - 1.3.9
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2026
The vulnerability identified in Spring for GraphQL versions ranging from 1.2.0 through 1.3.9, and 1.4.0 through 2.0.4, stems from an insufficient validation of pagination arguments within scrollable queries. When the framework processes a request targeting a Connection field, it resolves the pagination parameters provided by the client and directly forwards these values to the underlying data repository without adequate bounds checking or complexity analysis. This architectural design flaw allows attackers to manipulate query inputs in ways that were not anticipated during normal application usage, specifically by exploiting the mechanics of cursor-based or offset-based pagination mechanisms inherent to GraphQL implementations.
From a technical perspective, the core issue lies in the lack of constraints on how deep into the dataset a client can request data retrieval. By supplying excessively large page sizes or maliciously crafted cursors that force the database engine to traverse vast portions of the result set, an attacker can trigger resource exhaustion scenarios. The application memory may be consumed rapidly as it attempts to buffer and process massive amounts of data returned from the datastore. Simultaneously, the underlying database experiences significant prolonged load due to complex queries or full table scans induced by these forged pagination arguments. This dual pressure on both the application server's memory resources and the database server's processing capabilities creates a potent vector for service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily categorized as a Denial of Service, where legitimate users are unable to access services due to resource saturation or system crashes caused by excessive load. The attacker does not need elevated privileges; simply having network access to expose the GraphQL endpoint is sufficient to exploit this flaw. This aligns with CWE-400, which describes Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, as well as CWE-770, Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this vulnerability maps closely to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1496, Resource Hijacking, where an attacker consumes resources to degrade service availability for other users.
Mitigation strategies must focus on implementing strict limits and validation mechanisms at the GraphQL layer before data is passed to the repository. Developers should enforce maximum page size restrictions that align with reasonable business requirements, ensuring that no single query can request more records than necessary for typical user interactions. Additionally, introducing timeouts or circuit breakers for database operations can prevent prolonged queries from monopolizing connection pools and thread resources. Upgrading to a patched version of Spring for GraphQL is the most effective remediation step, as these versions include fixes that properly validate and constrain pagination arguments to prevent such abuse scenarios while maintaining functional integrity for legitimate use cases.