CVE-2023-35933 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.9) CWE-835 vulnerability in github.com/openfga/openfga. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/openfga/openfga — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenFGA denial of service die to circular relationship
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-35933.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2023-35933 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,238 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/openfga/openfgaReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
OPenFGA is an open source authorization/permission engine built for developers. OpenFGA versions v1.1.0 and prior are vulnerable to a DoS attack when Check and ListObjects calls are executed against authorization models that contain circular relationship definitions. Users are affected by this vulnerability if they are using OpenFGA v1.1.0 or earlier, and if you are executing Check or ListObjects calls against a vulnerable authorization model. Users are advised to upgrade to version 1.1.1. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. Users that do not have circular relationships in their models are not affected.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/openfga/openfga | all versions | 1.1.1go get github.com/openfga/openfga@v1.1.1 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/openfga/openfga, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/openfga/openfga to 1.1.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-35933 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2023-35933 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-35933. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-35933 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-35933 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.