CVE-2026-43967 Details
Description
Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity vulnerability in absinthe-graphql absinthe allows unauthenticated denial of service via quadratic fragment-name uniqueness validation. 'Elixir.Absinthe.Phase.Document.Validation.UniqueFragmentNames':run/2 iterates over all fragments and for each one calls duplicate?/2, which evaluates Enum.count(fragments, &(&1.name == name)) — a full linear scan of the fragment list. The result is O(N²) comparisons per document, where N is the number of fragment definitions supplied by the caller. Because input.fragments is built directly from the GraphQL query body, N is fully attacker-controlled. A minimum-size fragment definition is roughly 16 bytes, so a ~1 MB document carries ~60,000 fragments and forces ~3.6 × 10⁹ comparisons inside this single validation phase. No authentication, schema knowledge, or special configuration is required. This issue affects absinthe: from 1.2.0 before 1.10.2.
A denial-of-service vulnerability has been identified in the Absinthe-GraphQL library, specifically in versions 1.2.0 prior to 1.10.2. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to cause significant CPU load on servers handling GraphQL requests. The issue arises from the fragment-name uniqueness validation process, which has a quadratic time complexity. When a GraphQL query is crafted with a large number of fragment definitions, the validation phase can become extremely resource-intensive. For example, a 1 MB query document can contain around 60,000 fragments, leading to approximately 3.6 billion name comparisons during validation. This problem does not require authentication or knowledge of the GraphQL schema, making it relatively easy to exploit.
Users can upgrade to Absinthe version 1.10.2 or later, where this vulnerability has been fixed.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
CISA-ADP
Assessed May 8, 2026References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-43967.html | EEF | PatchThird Party Advisory |
| https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/commit/223600c520493dcaf95080af552c413099f92c9d | EEF | Patch |
| https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/security/advisories/GHSA-9mhv-8h52-q7q2 | EEF | ExploitVendor Advisory |
| https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-43967 | EEF | Third Party Advisory |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-407 | Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity | EEF |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| absinthe-graphql absinthe | > 1.2.0, < 1.10.2 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
4 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | EEF |
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| May 22, 2026 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| May 8, 2026 | New CVE Received | EEF |