# CVE-2023-50730: Grackle has StackOverflowError in GraphQL query processing > Attackers can cause a denial of service in Grackle GraphQL servers by submitting queries with cyclic fragments or deep nesting, triggering stack overflow errors. - **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 22 Dec 2023 - **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** GHSA-g56x-7j6w-g8r8 ## What is CVE-2023-50730? CVE-2023-50730 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in typelevel grackle, published on 22 Dec 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Grackle is a GraphQL server written in functional Scala, built on the Typelevel stack. The GraphQL specification requires that GraphQL fragments must not form cycles, either directly or indirectly. Prior to Grackle version 0.18.0, that requirement wasn't checked, and queries with cyclic fragments would have been accepted for type checking and compilation. The attempted compilation of such fragments would result in a JVM `StackOverflowError` being thrown. Some knowledge of an applications GraphQL schema would be required to construct such a query, however no knowledge of any application-specific performance or other behavioural characteristics would be needed. Grackle uses the cats-parse library for parsing GraphQL queries. Prior to version 0.18.0, Grackle made use of the cats-parse `recursive` operator. However, `recursive` is not currently stack safe. `recursive` was used in three places in the parser: nested selection sets, nested input values (lists and objects), and nested list type declarations. Consequently, queries with deeply nested selection sets, input values or list types could be constructed which exploited this, causing a JVM `StackOverflowException` to be thrown during parsing. Because this happens very early in query processing, no specific knowledge of an applications GraphQL schema would be required to construct such a query. The possibility of small queries resulting in stack overflow is a potential denial of service vulnerability. This potentially affects all applications using Grackle which have untrusted users. Both stack overflow issues have been resolved in the v0.18.0 release of Grackle. As a workaround, users could interpose a sanitizing layer in between untrusted input and Grackle query processing. Weakness: CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling), CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-50730? 24 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.typelevel:grackle-core_2.13, edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_2.13 and edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_3. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_2.13` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_2.13` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_2.13` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_2.13` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_3` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_3` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_2.13` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_2.13` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_3` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_3` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_sjs1_2.13` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_sjs1_2.13` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_sjs1_3` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_sjs1_3` | Maven | All versions to 0.14.0 | None | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_3` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_3` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_native0.4_2.13` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_native0.4_2.13` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_native0.4_3` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_native0.4_3` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_sjs1_2.13` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_sjs1_2.13` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_sjs1_3` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | | `org.typelevel:grackle-core_sjs1_3` | Maven | All versions | 0.18.0 | Products: Typelevel Grackle. ## How do I fix CVE-2023-50730? Upgrade org.typelevel:grackle-core_2.13 to 0.18.0 or later. ## Is CVE-2023-50730 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-50730 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2023-50730 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2023-50730 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in typelevel grackle, published on 22 Dec 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-50730 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - org.typelevel:grackle-core_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 0.18.0 - org.typelevel:grackle-core_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 0.18.0 - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_3 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_3 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_3 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_native0.4_3 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_sjs1_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed - edu.gemini:gsp-graphql-core_sjs1_2.13 (Maven): affected all versions up to 0.14.0; no fix listed Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50730/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50730/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-50730 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50730 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-50730 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50730/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.