GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2

A query depth restriction using the max-depth property can be bypassed if ignoreIntrospection is enabled (which is the default configuration) by naming your query/fragment __schema.

Details

At the start of the countDepth function, we have the following check for the ignoreIntrospection option:

    if (this.config.ignoreIntrospection && 'name' in node && node.name?.value === '__schema') {
        return 0;
    }

However, the node can be one of: FieldNode, FragmentDefinitionNode, InlineFragmentNode, OperationDefinitionNode, FragmentSpreadNode.

For example, consider sending the following query:

query hello {
  books {
    title
  }
}

This would create an OperationDefinitionNode where node.name.value == 'hello'

The proper way to handle this is to check explicitly for the __schema field, which corresponds to a FieldNode.

The fix is

    if (
      this.config.ignoreIntrospection &&
      'name' in node &&
      node.name?.value === '__schema' &&
      node.kind === Kind.FIELD
    ) {
      return 0;
    }

This ensures that the node is explicitly a FieldNode.

PoC

Max depth: 6

query {
  books {
    author {
      books {
        author {
          ...__schema
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
fragment __schema on Author {
  books {
    title
  }
}

This issue affects applications using the GraphQL Armor Depth Limit plugin with ignoreIntrospection enabled.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 (2.4.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

This is fixed in PR#823

1. What is GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2? GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 is a medium-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in @escape.tech/graphql-armor-max-depth (npm), affecting versions <= 2.4.1. It is fixed in 2.4.2. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2? GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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.
3. Which versions of @escape.tech/graphql-armor-max-depth are affected by GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2? @escape.tech/graphql-armor-max-depth (npm) versions <= 2.4.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2? Yes. GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 is fixed in 2.4.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 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
6. What actually determines whether GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2 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.
7. How do I fix GHSA-HMFR-RX46-4JX2? Upgrade @escape.tech/graphql-armor-max-depth to 2.4.2 or later.