500 error for unknown types in variable definitions

[andershagbard]

Describe the bug

It returns 500 server error, if you are sending an unknown type in the orderByDirective.

Expected behavior/Solution

It should send some kind of GraphQL incorrect format response.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a query which is using the orderBy directive
2. Define your query on the client side. E.g.:

query(
  $page: Int!
  $first: Int!
  $orderBy: [UNKNOWN_TYPE!]
) {
  ...

3. Send query

Output/Logs

Click to expand

[2021-09-15 14:49:55] local.ERROR: Lighthouse failed while trying to load a type: OrdersOrderByOrderByClause

Make sure the type is present in your schema definition.
 {"userId":1,"exception":"[object] (Nuwave\\Lighthouse\\Exceptions\\DefinitionException(code: 0): Lighthouse failed while trying to load a type: UNKNOWN_TYPE

Make sure the type is present in your schema definition.

Lighthouse Version

5.23

[spawnia]

Thanks for the report. This issue applies more broadly to any unknown type in any variable definition, see #1943 for reproduction.

I think this should be fixed upstream in https://github.com/webonyx/graphql-php. There is a validation rule in the GraphQL specification governing that variables must be input types, but it does not explicitly mention that the defined type must also exist: http://spec.graphql.org/draft/#sec-Variables-Are-Input-Types. I think because of this, no explicit test for proper handling of this case exists in the library.

[spawnia]

I opened a pull request against the reference implementation to add a validation step for this: graphql/graphql-js#3282

[andershagbard]

Looks like this is solved upstream now graphql/graphql-js#3284