CVE-2026-76763
Description
A flaw was found in SmallRye GraphQL. The number scalar coercion for BigInteger does not properly validate the magnitude of float or string inputs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending a GraphQL query containing a large exponent float literal. This can lead to the allocation of extremely large BigInteger objects, causing CPU exhaustion or an OutOfMemoryError, resulting in a denial of service.
Statement
This flaw is rated as Important. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger a denial of service by sending a crafted GraphQL query with a large exponent float literal to an application exposing a SmallRye GraphQL endpoint. This can lead to CPU exhaustion or an OutOfMemoryError, as the parsing occurs before authorization and affects commonly used data types like Long or BigInteger.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, applications exposing SmallRye GraphQL endpoints should implement validation and bounding of the precision or exponent for incoming numeric literals before they reach scalar coercion. Additionally, limiting the JVM heap size can help constrain the impact of OutOfMemoryError, though it will not prevent CPU exhaustion. Implementing rate-limiting or timeouts on the GraphQL endpoint can also reduce exposure. Using GraphQL variables instead of inline literals for numeric inputs is a safe alternative, as variables follow a secure parsing path.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.5 | N/A | 7.5 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | None |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Other,Integrity,Availability
Technical Impact: Varies by Context; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); Modify Memory; Read Memory
When the quantity is not properly validated, then attackers can specify malicious quantities to cause excessive resource allocation, trigger unexpected failures, enable buffer overflows, etc.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Arpit Jain for reporting this issue.
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