Executive brief
Spring for GraphQL is a framework component used to build GraphQL APIs in Spring applications. When WebSocket connections are enabled with keepAlive functionality, an attacker can send specially crafted requests to exhaust server resources and cause service unavailability for legitimate users.
Technical details
This vulnerability is a denial of service flaw in Spring for GraphQL's WebSocket client implementation when keepAlive is enabled. The vulnerability allows an attacker with network access to send crafted WebSocket frames that trigger resource exhaustion or infinite loops in the keepAlive handling logic. No authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability as WebSocket connections can be initiated by unauthenticated clients. An attacker can leverage this to crash the GraphQL service or degrade performance, impacting availability. Patches are available in updated versions of Spring for GraphQL.
Affected products
- VMware Spring for GraphQL 1.3.0 through 1.3.9, 1.4.0 through 1.4.6, 2.0.0 through 2.0.4
Timeline
- 2026-08-27: disclosed