CVE-2026-118391
What it is
Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in elixir-ecto ecto allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to exhaust memory in the application and in the database server by sending requests with distinct JSON keys or list lengths where the application interpolates them into json_extract_path/2, field[^key] or splice/1. Ecto caches prepared queries per repository in an ETS table with no size limit and no eviction. Interpolated JSON path elements become part of the query expression instead of its parameters, and splice/1 expands into one placeholder per element, so every distinct key or list length creates a new cache entry. With ecto_sql each entry is also a new prepared statement on the database connection that runs it. None of this memory is released until the processes restart. This issue affects ecto: from 3.4.0 before 3.14.3.
At a glance
- Exploitability
- Can be exploited over the network without logging in. High risk of service disruption.
- Exploit odds
- 0.5% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
- Fix
- A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.
Timeline
- ReservedThe CVE id was reserved by its CNA
- PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
- Last updatedMost recent change to the record
Why it ranks here
- Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
- Exploit odds: 0.5% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
- Severity: 8.9 HIGH (CVSS).
- Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.
Details
- Published
- Last modified
- Exploit probability
- 0.5% · EPSS, next 30 days
- Weakness
- CWE-770 · Allocation without limits
- Record status
- Received
Attack profile CVSS 4.0 · 8.9
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Is it in your code?
Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.
Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2026-118391.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2026-118391. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.
Fix and advisories
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/cb2f03964dac324a9771f84f5088e395326e6de8
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/d0e97d8a6e274c81c25fbf08087da8d8b9bae0ea
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/eb03f45b999e2bf67ffae92811233eb6e56dba55
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/eef014ad090d27d1a5b69c0e32a50eabd44ab3bb
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/security/advisories/GHSA-cxjx-vmm2-qr8r
References
- https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-118391.html
- https://ecto.hexdocs.pm/Ecto.Query.API.html#json_extract_path/2
- https://ecto.hexdocs.pm/Ecto.Query.API.html#splice/1
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/cb2f03964dac324a9771f84f5088e395326e6de8
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/d0e97d8a6e274c81c25fbf08087da8d8b9bae0ea
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/eb03f45b999e2bf67ffae92811233eb6e56dba55
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/commit/eef014ad090d27d1a5b69c0e32a50eabd44ab3bb
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/issues/1031
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/issues/4470
- https://github.com/elixir-ecto/ecto/security/advisories/GHSA-cxjx-vmm2-qr8r
- https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-118391