CVE-2025-32033: Apollo Router Operation Limits Vulnerable to Bypass via Integer Overflow
Impact
Summary
A vulnerability in Apollo Router allowed certain queries to bypass configured operation limits, specifically due to integer overflow.
Details
The operation limits plugin uses unsigned 32-bit integers to track limit counters (e.g. for a query's height). If a counter exceeded the maximum value for this data type (4,294,967,295), it wrapped around to 0, unintentionally allowing queries to bypass configured thresholds. This could occur for large queries if the payload limit were sufficiently increased, but could also occur for small queries with deeply nested and reused named fragments.
Fix/Mitigation
Logic was updated to ensure counter overflow is handled correctly and does not wrap around to 0.
Patches
This has been remediated in apollo-router versions 1.61.2 and 2.1.1.
Workarounds
The only known workaround is "Safelisting" or "Safelisting with IDs only" per Safelisting with Persisted Queries - Apollo GraphQL Docs.
Acknowledgements
We appreciate the efforts of the security community in identifying and improving the performance and security of operation limiting mechanisms.
Other sources
The Apollo Router Core is a configurable, high-performance graph router written in Rust to run a federated supergraph that uses Apollo Federation 2. Prior to 1.61.2 and 2.1.1, the operation limits plugin uses unsigned 32-bit integers to track limit counters (e.g. for a query's height). If a counter exceeded the maximum value for this data type (4,294,967,295), it wrapped around to 0, unintentionally allowing queries to bypass configured thresholds. This could occur for large queries if the payload limit were sufficiently increased, but could also occur for small queries with deeply nested and reused named fragments. This has been remediated in apollo-router versions 1.61.2 and 2.1.1.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-32033?
CVE-2025-32033 has a high severity due to the potential for integer overflow in the operation limits plugin.
How do I fix CVE-2025-32033?
To fix CVE-2025-32033, upgrade to Apollo Router versions 1.61.2 or 2.1.1 or later.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2025-32033?
CVE-2025-32033 can lead to unexpected behavior in query handling, including denial of service states.
Which versions of Apollo Router are affected by CVE-2025-32033?
Apollo Router versions prior to 1.61.2 and 2.1.1 are affected by CVE-2025-32033.
Where can I find more information about CVE-2025-32033?
Details about CVE-2025-32033 can be found in the official Apollo Router security advisories.