CVE-2021-41248
XSS vulnerability in GraphiQL
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
GraphiQL is the reference implementation of this monorepo, GraphQL IDE, an official project under the GraphQL Foundation. All versions of graphiql older than [email protected] are vulnerable to compromised HTTP schema introspection responses or schema prop values with malicious GraphQL type names, exposing a dynamic XSS attack surface that can allow code injection on operation autocomplete. In order for the attack to take place, the user must load a vulnerable schema in graphiql. There are a number of ways that can occur. By default, the schema URL is not attacker-controllable in graphiql or in its suggested implementations or examples, leaving only very complex attack vectors. If a custom implementation of graphiql's fetcher allows the schema URL to be set dynamically, such as a URL query parameter like ?endpoint= in graphql-playground, or a database provided value, then this custom graphiql implementation is vulnerable to phishing attacks, and thus much more readily available, low or no privelege level xss attacks. The URLs could look like any generic looking graphql schema URL. It should be noted that desktop clients such as Altair, Insomnia, Postwoman, do not appear to be impacted by this. This vulnerability does not impact codemirror-graphql, monaco-graphql or other dependents, as it exists in onHasCompletion.ts in graphiql. It does impact all forks of graphiql, and every released version of graphiql.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium4.7 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 1.3% · top 30% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.1.
Weakness
Affected products
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- npmgraphiqlGHSA-x4r7-m2q9-69c8 (opens in a new tab)
References (3)
- https://github.com/graphql/graphiql/security/advisories/GHSA-x4r7-m2q9-69c8 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/graphql/graphql-playground/security/advisories/GHSA-59r9-6jp6-jcm7 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/graphql/graphiql/commit/cb237eeeaf7333c4954c752122261db7520f7bf4 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-x4r7-m2q9-69c8 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2021-41248)Record last updated .