GraphQL-core: Denial of service via quadratic complexity in the OverlappingFieldsCanBeMerged validation rule

GraphQL-core is a Python port of the GraphQL.js reference implementation. From 3.0.0 until 3.2.12 and 3.3.0rc1, the OverlappingFieldsCanBeMerged rule in specified_rules repeatedly compares fields that share response names and recursively re-compares flattened inline fragments during the validation phase. The prior named-fragment memoization does not cover this path, so nested repeated inline fragments can drive quadratic and worst-case O(n²·m²) CPU work before any resolver or AST-based depth or complexity control runs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can submit a shallow, highly compressible GraphQL query that pins a worker process and can saturate a multi-worker service. This issue is fixed in versions 3.2.12 and 3.3.0rc1.

Source published

22 Oct 2026 16:12:38 UTC

Source modified

23 Oct 2026 21:08:40 UTC

Observed here

23 Oct 2026 22:48:20 UTC

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CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H