{"id":"CVE-2026-81636","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"Query-complexity limit bypass via first/last pagination arguments in AshGraphql enables denial of service","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.\n\nAshGraphql.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.\n\nThis issue affects ash_graphql: from 0.16.23 before 1.11.0.","publishedAt":"2026-08-30T18:25:29.776Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T15:57:06.465Z","severity":{"score":8.7,"label":"High","version":"4.0","vector":"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","source":"EEF"},"assigner":"EEF","products":["ash-project ash_graphql"],"affected":[{"vendor":"ash-project","product":"ash_graphql","packageName":"ash_graphql","packageURL":"pkg:hex/ash_graphql","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"0.16.23","status":"affected","lessThan":"1.11.0","versionType":"semver"}],"collectionURL":"https://repo.hex.pm","cpes":["cpe:2.3:a:ash-project:ash_graphql:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"],"modules":["'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver'"],"programFiles":["lib/graphql/resolver.ex"],"programRoutines":[{"name":"'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver':query_complexity/3"}],"repo":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql"},{"vendor":"ash-project","product":"ash_graphql","packageName":"ash-project/ash_graphql","packageURL":"pkg:github/ash-project/ash_graphql","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"d8a3e1b15587180ad9cb3ceeb398863d086c163b","status":"affected","lessThan":"c3229f6a65cbabb32fd7ffcac881922d1b3b30ad","versionType":"git"}],"collectionURL":"https://github.com","cpes":["cpe:2.3:a:ash-project:ash_graphql:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"],"modules":["'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver'"],"programFiles":["lib/graphql/resolver.ex"],"programRoutines":[{"name":"'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver':query_complexity/3"}],"repo":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql"}],"references":["https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/security/advisories/GHSA-mwc4-r9fc-h6mg","https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-81636.html","https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-81636","https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/commit/c3229f6a65cbabb32fd7ffcac881922d1b3b30ad"],"weaknesses":["CWE-770"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:13:15.269Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/81xxx/CVE-2026-81636.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-81636","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-08-30T18:25:29.776Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-31T15:57:06.465Z","assignerShortName":"EEF","assignerOrgId":"6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db","dateReserved":"2026-08-30T02:00:02.143Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"Query-complexity limit bypass via first/last pagination arguments in AshGraphql enables denial of service","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"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.\n\nAshGraphql.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.\n\nThis issue affects ash_graphql: from 0.16.23 before 1.11.0."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"ash-project","product":"ash_graphql","packageName":"ash_graphql","packageURL":"pkg:hex/ash_graphql","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"0.16.23","status":"affected","lessThan":"1.11.0","versionType":"semver"}],"collectionURL":"https://repo.hex.pm","cpes":["cpe:2.3:a:ash-project:ash_graphql:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"],"modules":["'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver'"],"programFiles":["lib/graphql/resolver.ex"],"programRoutines":[{"name":"'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver':query_complexity/3"}],"repo":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql"},{"vendor":"ash-project","product":"ash_graphql","packageName":"ash-project/ash_graphql","packageURL":"pkg:github/ash-project/ash_graphql","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"d8a3e1b15587180ad9cb3ceeb398863d086c163b","status":"affected","lessThan":"c3229f6a65cbabb32fd7ffcac881922d1b3b30ad","versionType":"git"}],"collectionURL":"https://github.com","cpes":["cpe:2.3:a:ash-project:ash_graphql:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"],"modules":["'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver'"],"programFiles":["lib/graphql/resolver.ex"],"programRoutines":[{"name":"'Elixir.AshGraphql.Graphql.Resolver':query_complexity/3"}],"repo":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql"}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/security/advisories/GHSA-mwc4-r9fc-h6mg","tags":["vendor-advisory","related"]},{"url":"https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-81636.html","tags":["related"]},{"url":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-81636","tags":["related"]},{"url":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/commit/c3229f6a65cbabb32fd7ffcac881922d1b3b30ad","tags":["patch"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV4_0":{"Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","attackVector":"NETWORK","baseScore":8.7,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"NONE","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vectorString":"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","version":"4.0","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"HIGH","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","vulnIntegrityImpact":"NONE","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED"},"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}]}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-770","description":"CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling","lang":"en","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"EEF","orgId":"6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db","dateUpdated":"2026-08-30T18:25:29.776Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"cpeMatch":[{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:a:ash-project:ash_graphql:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"1.11.0","versionStartIncluding":"0.16.23","vulnerable":true}],"negate":false,"operator":"OR"}],"operator":"AND"}],"credits":[{"lang":"en","type":"finder","value":"Peter Ullrich"},{"lang":"en","type":"reporter","value":"Peter Ullrich"},{"lang":"en","type":"remediation developer","value":"Zach Daniel / Ash Project"},{"lang":"en","type":"coordinator","value":"Jonatan Männchen / EEF"}],"impacts":[{"capecId":"CAPEC-130","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"CAPEC-130 Excessive Allocation"}]}],"source":{"discovery":"EXTERNAL"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/ash-project/ash_graphql/security/advisories/GHSA-mwc4-r9fc-h6mg","tags":["exploit"]}],"metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-08-31T15:56:42.788155Z","id":"CVE-2026-81636","options":[{"Exploitation":"poc"},{"Automatable":"yes"},{"Technical Impact":"partial"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-08-31T15:57:06.465Z"}}]}}}