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SurrealDB: Field-level SELECT permissions bypassed via graph and reference traversals (CVE-2026-63738)

0
Medium
Published: 06/19/2026 (06/19/2026, 22:10:53 UTC)
Source: GCVE Database
Product: surrealdb

Description

A record user could read field values hidden from them by field-level SELECT permissions by reaching the records through a graph-edge (`->`) or back-reference (`<~`) traversal instead of a direct `SELECT`. When a table was readable at the table level but carried a field hidden by a field-level permission (`DEFINE FIELD secret ON knows PERMISSIONS FOR select NONE`), a direct `SELECT * FROM knows` hid `secret` — but reaching the same records through a traversal that yields full objects — `person:bob->(SELECT * FROM knows)`, `person:bob<~(SELECT * FROM comment)`, or a projected target vertex `->knows->(SELECT * FROM person)` — returned it intact. The root cause: the shared `resolve_record_batch` helper used by `GraphEdgeScan` (`FullEdge`) and `ReferenceScan` (`FullRecord`) enforced only the table-level SELECT permission and pushed raw record data, never running the field-level filtering (`build_field_state` / `filter_fields_by_permission`) that ordinary table scans and `fetch_record` apply. ### Impact A record user can read the values of fields hidden by field-level SELECT permissions, on tables they already hold table-level SELECT on, by materialising the records through a graph-edge, back-reference, or target-vertex traversal — recovering the values directly, for every record the traversal returns. The disclosure is confined to the field-permission layer: it grants **no unauthorised cross-table, cross-record, or cross-namespace/database access**. The table's own SELECT permission — including any row-level `WHERE` predicate — is still enforced, so the caller only reaches records they were already entitled to read; only the per-field SELECT filtering within those records is skipped. Root and record-owner sessions are unaffected, and data cannot be modified (confidentiality only). Table-level enforcement on these traversals landed in 3.1.0 (the fix for GHSA-vjjx-rfw4-rmfc); releases before 3.1.0 additionally exposed whole records on tables the caller could not read, and are covered by that advisory. ### Patches `resolve_record_batch` (the shared helper that materialises full records for graph and reference traversals) now applies field-level SELECT permissions and read-time `COMPUTED` fields to each record, matching the regular table-scan and `fetch_record` paths. Versions 3.1.5 and later are not affected. ### Workarounds - Force the unaffected legacy executor with `--planner-strategy compute-only` (env `SURREAL_PLANNER_STRATEGY`). - Do not rely on field-level SELECT permissions to hide values on tables reachable as a graph edge, reference target, or traversal vertex; restrict at the table level instead. - Use namespace / database isolation as the primary boundary where feasible. ### Resources - [SurrealQL Documentation — DEFINE FIELD](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql/statements/define/field) - [SurrealQL Documentation — DEFINE TABLE … PERMISSIONS](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql/statements/define/table) - [SurrealQL Documentation — Graph relationships](https://surrealdb.com/docs/surrealql/datamodel/relationships) - `fix(exec): apply field-level SELECT permissions + computed fields when graph/reference traversals materialize full records`

CVSS v3.1

Score 4.3medium

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Affected software

crates.ioghsa
surrealdb
Affected versions
>=3.1.0 <3.1.5

Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.

Technical Details

Gcve Source
db.gcve.eu
Osv Id
GHSA-hv6h-hc26-q48p
Osv Schema Version
1.4.0
Aliases
["CVE-2026-63738"]
Ecosystems
["crates.io"]
Database Specific Severity
MODERATE
Cvss Version
3.1

Threat ID: 6a9c2648acd9273b49fc9e67

Added to database: 09/05/2026, 14:25:12 UTC

Last updated: 09/05/2026, 14:25:12 UTC

Views: 1

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