SurrealDB has an Uncaught Exception Sorting Tables by Random Order
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from GitHub. Impact type from CWE-248.
Summary
Sorting table records using an `ORDER BY` clause with the `rand()` function as sorting mechanism could cause a panic due to relying on a comparison function that did not implement total order. This event resulted in a panic due to a recent [change in Rust 1.81](https://blog.rust-lang.org/2024/09/05/Rust-1.81.0.html#new-sort-implementations). ### Impact A client that is authorized to run queries in a SurrealDB server would be able to query a table with `ORDER BY rand()` in order to potentially cause a panic in the sorting function. This would crash the server, leading to denial of service. ### Patches The sorting algorithm has been updated to guarantee total order when shuffling records. - Version 2.1.0 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 arbitrary SurrealQL queries in the affected versions of SurrealDB. To limit the impact of the denial of service, SurrealDB administrators may also want to ensure that the SurrealDB process is running so that it can be automatically re-started after a crash. ### References - https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/issues/4969 - https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/4989 - https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/4805 - https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/4906
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | surrealdb (crates.io) | before 2.1.0 | 2.1.0 | Patch available | GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f |
| — | surrealdb-core (crates.io) | before 2.1.0 | 2.1.0 | Patch available | GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f |
- surrealdb (crates.io) Vendor— Affected before 2.1.0 Fixed in 2.1.0 Patch available GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f
- surrealdb-core (crates.io) Vendor— Affected before 2.1.0 Fixed in 2.1.0 Patch available GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f surrealdb (crates.io) Fixed in 2.1.0 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f surrealdb-core (crates.io) Fixed in 2.1.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-03 Threatist record created from GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f
References
Other 6
- https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/security/advisories/GHSA-m52v-24p8-654f
- https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/issues/4969
- https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/4805
- https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/4906
- https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/4989
- https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences