Abusing GraphQL Introspection: A Gateway for Recon and Exploitation
1 min read
Summary
GraphQL is a popular application programming interface (API) that gives flexibility and efficiency to queries but has a potential vulnerability through its introspection feature that exposes the schema and can be exploited by attackers.
Introspection allows the GraphQL server to provide information about its schema, such as types, fields, and return types, which is useful for tooling and debugging but can be a goldmine for attackers in production.
Attackers of all levels can exploit GraphQL introspection vulnerabilities and extract information leading to object enumeration, privilege escalation, and unauthorised data access.
Once introspection is detected as enabled, the first level of exploitation is dumping the schema from beginner attackers and using it to map relationships and logic inside the application from advanced attackers.
Real-world scenarios include leaking API secrets, user impersonation, privilege escalation, and brute-force injection.
To mitigate these attacks, developers need to limit exposure by disabling introspection or limiting it to trusted sources and ensuring robust access control, entertainment of authentication and authorisation, and rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks.
Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and fix any flaws.