CVE-2026-44840

The checkUserPassword GraphQL query in Dgraph is vulnerable to Dgraph Query Language (DQL) injection. User-supplied password values are interpolated directly into a DQL checkpwd query without escaping or parameterization. An attacker can inject a password containing a double-quote character to break out of the DQL string literal and append arbitrary DQL query blocks.

## Summary The `checkUserPassword` GraphQL query in Dgraph is vulnerable to DQL (Dgraph Query Language) injection. User-supplied password values are interpolated directly into a DQL `checkpwd()` query via `fmt.Sprintf` without any escaping or parameterization. An attacker can inject a password containing a double-quote character to break out of the DQL string literal and append arbitrary DQL query blocks. ## Details ### Vulnerable Code Path The vulnerability exists in the GraphQL-to-DQL query rewriting layer: 1. **`query_rewriter.go` (~line 364)** — The `checkpwd()` DQL function is constructed using `fmt.Sprintf`: ```go fmt.Sprintf(`checkpwd(User.password, "%s")`, password) ``` The raw password string from the GraphQL query input is embedded directly into the DQL query without escaping double quotes or other special characters. 2. **`graphquery.go`** — The constructed query attribute is serialized into the final DQL string via `b.WriteString(query.Attr)`, passing the unsanitized content directly to the Dgraph query engine. ### Attack Mechanism A password value containing a double-quote (`"`) terminates the string literal in the `checkpwd()` function. Any content after the escaped quote is parsed as additional DQL, allowing the attacker to inject arbitrary query blocks. ### Distinction from CVE-2026-41328 and CVE-2026-41327 CVE-2026-41328 and CVE-2026-41327 address DQL injection in **`edgraph/server.go`**, where GraphQL mutation inputs (upsert/delete) are embedded unsafely into DQL mutations. Those fixes sanitize the mutation path. This vulnerability is in a **completely different code path** — the **GraphQL query rewriter** (`query_rewriter.go` → `graphquery.go`). The `checkUserPassword` GraphQL query triggers a DQL *query* via `checkpwd()`, and this query construction was not covered by the patches for CVE-2026-41328/CVE-2026-41327. ## PoC ```bash curl -s -X POST http://TARGET:8080/graphql \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "query": "query { checkUserPassword(name: \"admin\", password: \"x\\\") { uid } injected(func: has(User.name)) { User.name User.email } dummy(func: eq(x, \\\"x\") { msg } }") { msg } }" }' ``` **What to observe:** - The `touched_uids` field in the `extensions` section of the response will be elevated (indicating the injected blocks executed) - Dgraph server logs (`dgraph alpha` output) will show the injected query blocks being parsed and executed - The response itself may be filtered by the GraphQL layer, but server-side execution is confirmed ## Impact - **Data enumeration**: Injected query blocks execute server-side and can probe for the existence of predicates, types, and nodes via `touched_uids` metrics and server logs. - **Schema discovery**: An attacker can enumerate all predicates and types in the database by injecting `schema {}` blocks or `has()` queries. - **Resource exhaustion**: Expensive injected queries (recursive traversals, large aggregations) execute at the DQL layer, consuming server resources regardless of whether results are returned to the attacker. - **Potential data disclosure**: Depending on Dgraph configuration (e.g., debug mode, custom extensions), injected query results may leak into the response. **CVSS 3.1: 7.5 High** — `AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N` - Network-accessible via any GraphQL endpoint - No authentication required (`checkUserPassword` is an unauthenticated query) - Low attack complexity (single crafted HTTP request) - High confidentiality impact (server-side query execution confirmed, data enumeration possible) ## Affected Versions All versions of Dgraph that include GraphQL support with the `@secret` directive are affected: - <= v25.3.3 - Any version where `query_rewriter.go` constructs `checkpwd()` via string interpolation ## Suggested Fix Escape or parameterize the password value before embedding it in the DQL query. At minimum, double-quote characters in the password must be escaped: ```go // Before (vulnerable): fmt.Sprintf(`checkpwd(User.password, "%s")`, password) // After (escaped): escaped := strings.ReplaceAll(password, `\`, `\\`) escaped = strings.ReplaceAll(escaped, `"`, `\"`) fmt.Sprintf(`checkpwd(User.password, "%s")`, escaped) ``` Ideally, Dgraph should implement parameterized query support for the `checkpwd()` function to avoid string interpolation entirely, consistent with best practices for injection prevention. ## Credit Kai Aizen ([email protected])