GHSA-3633-g6mg-p6qq CVE-2025-71395
SurrealDB memory exhaustion via string::replace using regex
- Severity
- 0.0 / 10
- Medium · CVSS 4.0
- Exploit chance (EPSS)
- 0.45%
- Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 39.15% of scored vulnerabilities.
- Known exploited
- No
- Not in CISA's catalog
- Weakness
- CWE-789 Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value
- Fix
2.2.2- Upgrade surrealdb to this version or later
Description
An authenticated user can craft a query using the string::replace function that uses a Regex to perform a string replacement. As there is a failure to restrict the resulting string length, this enables an attacker to send a string::replace function to the SurrealDB server exhausting all the memory of the server due to string allocations. This eventually results in a Denial-of-Service situation for the SurrealDB server.
This issue was discovered and patched during an code audit and penetration test of SurrealDB by cure53. Using CVSSv4 definitions, the severity is High.
Impact
An authenticated user can crash the SurrealDB instance through memory exhaustion
Patches
A patch has been created that enforces a limit on string length SURREAL_GENERATION_ALLOCATION_LIMIT
- Versions 2.0.5, 2.1.5, 2.2.2, and later are not affected by this issue
Workarounds
Affected users who are unable to update may want to limit the ability of untrusted clients to run the string::replace function in the affected versions of SurrealDB using the --deny-functions flag described within Capabilities or the equivalent SURREAL_CAPS_DENY_FUNC environment variable.
References
SurrealQL Documentation - DB Functions (string::replace) SurrealDB Documentation - Capabilities SurrealDB Documentation - Environment Variables #5619 #5638
Affected versions
crates.io
| Package | Vulnerable | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| surrealdb | >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.2 |
2.2.2 |
| surrealdb | >= 2.1.0, < 2.1.5 |
2.1.5 |
| surrealdb | < 2.0.5 |
2.0.5 |
How to fix
Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.
surrealdb crates.io → 2.2.2
- cargo
cargo update -p surrealdb --precise 2.2.2
Severity breakdown
CVSS 4.0 0.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- None
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- None
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- High
- Confidentiality (subsequent systems)
- None
- Integrity (subsequent systems)
- None
- Availability (subsequent systems)
- None
CVSS 3.1 6.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Weakness
CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value
The product allocates memory based on an untrusted, large size value, but it does not ensure that the size is within expected limits, allowing arbitrary amounts of memory to be allocated.
How to prevent it
- Implementation, Architecture and Design: Perform adequate input validation against any value that influences the amount of memory that is allocated. Define an appropriate strategy for handling requests that exceed the limit, and consider supporting a configuration option so that the administrator can extend the amount of memory to be used if necessary.
- Operation: Run your program using system-provided resource limits for memory. This might still cause the program to crash or exit, but the impact to the rest of the system will be minimized.
References
Advisories
Packages
Other links
Timeline
- Published
- Last updated by the source
- Latest EPSS score
Related advisories
| Advisory | Severity | Why it's related |
|---|---|---|
| GHSA-8rw6-p7m8-63jp SurrealDB: Array element-level (field.*) SELECT permissions leak denied elements to record users | High | Also affects surrealdb |
| GHSA-848m-r628-vrxw SurrealDB: Custom API route lets authenticated callers override namespace/database scope via URL path | High | Also affects surrealdb |
| GHSA-m3c3-78fh-w3w7 SurrealDB allows bypass of deny-net flags via DNS resolution | High | Also affects SurrealDB |
| GHSA-whwg-vh4f-pmmf SurrealDB: Edge PERMISSIONS FOR delete bypassed when a connected node is deleted | Medium | Also affects surrealdb |
| GHSA-fwg2-gr34-q3w8 SurrealDB: ES512 silently downgraded to ES384 due to jsonwebtoken crate limitation | Medium | Also affects surrealdb |
| GHSA-c8jx-96c9-8xrp SurrealDB: Field-level SELECT permissions bypassed via indexed COUNT fast paths | Medium | Also affects surrealdb |
| GHSA-wp87-mgvq-5j93 SurrealDB: USE NS/DB implicit creation bypasses DEFINE authorization | Medium | Also affects surrealdb |
| GHSA-97vg-427p-8hx5 SurrealDB: Port-specific --deny-net rules silently bypassed on HTTP redirect | Medium | Also affects surrealdb |
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