# Directus unauthenticated denial of service via GraphQL alias amplification

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/directus-unauthenticated-denial-of-service-via-graphql-alias-a0cc9ef0  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-04-04. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2026-04-04

Directus is a flexible backend platform that transforms databases into headless CMS and API systems. An attacker can send a single GraphQL request using field aliases to trigger an expensive health check resolver multiple times, exhausting database connections, storage I/O, and SMTP resources without authentication. This can cause service outage, preventing all users from accessing the system.

Technologies: [directus (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/directus). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is This vulnerability exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of This vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is This vulnerability?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 4 April 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** directus (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=11.17.0.

**Is there a fix for This vulnerability?** Yes. directus (npm): upgrade to 11.17.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is This vulnerability attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected?** Check whether you run directus (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- directus (npm): upgrade to 11.17.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install directus@11.17.0
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability exploits GraphQL alias specification behavior, where each alias in a single query normally resolves independently. Directus failed to deduplicate resolver invocations within a single request, causing the health check resolver to execute fully for each alias despite identical arguments. The health check resolver performs expensive operations including database connectivity verification, cache checks, storage writes, and SMTP verification. An unauthenticated attacker can craft a request with numerous aliases invoking the same resolver, amplifying resource consumption significantly from a single HTTP request. The fix introduces request-scoped resolver deduplication so identical invocations share results, eliminating the amplification factor. This was patched in version 11.17.0.

## Affected products

- Directus Directus before 11.17.0

## Timeline

- 2026-04-04: disclosed
- 2026-04-04: patched: version 11.17.0

## References

- [https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-6q22-g298-grjh](https://github.com/directus/directus/security/advisories/GHSA-6q22-g298-grjh)
- [https://github.com/directus/directus](https://github.com/directus/directus)

## Related threats

- [Directus authorization bypass via unsegmented response cache key](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-61836-directus-authorization-bypass-via-unsegmented-response-cache-key)
- [Directus SSRF bypass in file import via 0.0.0.0 address](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-61835-directus-ssrf-bypass-in-file-import-via-0-0-0-0-address)
- [Directus sensitive information disclosure via aggregate queries](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35442-directus-sensitive-information-disclosure-via-aggregate-queries)
- [Directus resource exhaustion via GraphQL alias amplification](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35441-directus-resource-exhaustion-via-graphql-alias-amplification)
- [Directus GraphQL introspection bypass in system endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35413-directus-graphql-introspection-bypass-in-system-endpoint)