title: LLM-Generated Cypher Query Injection with Destructive or Administrative Operations
id: ATR-2026-02100
rule_version: 1
status: experimental
description: |
  Detects an LLM-generated Cypher query (the graph-database analogue of a prompt-to-SQL injection) that carries a destructive bulk-delete, an administrative security-procedure call, or a local-file-read gadget through the query text itself, rather than through an application-level path or shell argument. Mined from GHSA-2pq5-3q89-j7cc (Langroid's Neo4jChatAgent passes LLM-generated Cypher straight to the Neo4j driver with no statement-type allowlist and no opt-out gate -- the same defect class as the prompt-to-SQL-to-RCE issue Langroid already fixed for its SQLChatAgent, but never extended to the neo4j module). Generalized beyond Langroid: any agent framework that lets an LLM compose Cypher text handed to a graph database driver is equally exploitable through the same three gadget families -- DETACH DELETE (drops all matched nodes/relationships), dbms.security.* administrative procedures (create/modify accounts), and apoc.periodic / apoc.load / apoc.cypher.runFile helpers reading local files or driving destructive batch operations. Existing ATR SQL-injection rules (ATR-2026-01600/01/03/04) key on SQL-specific syntax (quote-termination, DROP/TRUNCATE, UNION SELECT) and do not fire on Cypher syntax at all -- verified against the current engine with no match before authoring this rule.
author: ATR Community (CVE sweep)
date: 2026/07/11
schema_version: '0.1'
detection_tier: pattern
maturity: experimental
severity: critical
references:
  owasp_llm:
    - LLM01:2025
  owasp_agentic:
    - ASI02:2026
  mitre_attack:
    - T1485 - Data Destruction
    - T1136 - Create Account
  mitre_atlas:
    - AML.T0043 - Craft Adversarial Data
metadata_provenance:
  owasp_llm: human-reviewed
  owasp_agentic: human-reviewed
  mitre_attack: human-reviewed
  mitre_atlas: human-reviewed
compliance:
  eu_ai_act:
    - article: '15'
      context: Article 15 (accuracy, robustness and cybersecurity) requires high-risk AI systems to resist unauthorised attempts to alter their behaviour; this rule detects LLM-generated Cypher carrying destructive-delete, admin-procedure, or local-file-read gadgets through an unvalidated graph-query execution path.
      strength: primary
    - article: '9'
      context: Article 9 (risk management system) requires identified risks to be addressed by appropriate measures; this rule is a runtime risk-treatment control for the prompt-to-query-language-injection risk class.
      strength: secondary
  nist_ai_rmf:
    - subcategory: MG.2.3
      context: Treating LLM-generated Cypher destructive/admin operations as an identified AI risk requires active runtime countermeasures; this detection rule is the primary risk treatment implementation.
      strength: primary
    - subcategory: MP.5.1
      context: Identifying the prompt-to-Cypher injection idiom as an AI risk to be catalogued in the organizational risk register.
      strength: secondary
  iso_42001:
    - clause: '8.1'
      context: ISO/IEC 42001 Clause 8.1 (operational planning and control) is operationalised by this rule's detection of unvalidated LLM-generated Cypher reaching a graph database driver.
      strength: primary
    - clause: '8.3'
      context: ISO/IEC 42001 Clause 8.3 (AI risk treatment) is implemented via this rule's runtime detection of the destructive/admin Cypher gadget.
      strength: secondary
tags:
  category: privilege-escalation
  subcategory: cypher-injection
  scan_target: llm_io
  confidence: high
agent_source:
  type: llm_io
  framework:
    - any
  provider:
    - any
detection:
  condition: any
  conditions:
    - field: content
      operator: regex
      value: (?i)(?<!\byou will learn that\s)(?<!\byou will learn\s)(?<!\bfor example\s)(?<!\bthis query\s)(?<!\bnote that\s)(?<!\bfor instance\s)(?<!\bsuch as\s)(?<!\bexplains that\s)\b(?:MATCH|CALL)\b[\s\S]{0,40}\bDETACH\s+DELETE\b
      description: Cypher DETACH DELETE (bulk destructive delete of matched nodes/relationships) near a MATCH/CALL clause, excluding common teaching-phrase lead-ins (e.g. 'you will learn that ...') so tutorial/explanatory prose quoting the same syntax does not fire
    - field: content
      operator: regex
      value: (?i)(?<!\byou will learn that\s)(?<!\byou will learn\s)(?<!\bfor example\s)(?<!\bthis query\s)(?<!\bnote that\s)(?<!\bfor instance\s)(?<!\bsuch as\s)(?<!\bexplains that\s)\bCALL\s+dbms\.security\.\w+\s*\(
      description: Cypher CALL into the dbms.security.* administrative procedure namespace (account/role management), excluding common teaching-phrase lead-ins
    - field: content
      operator: regex
      value: (?i)(?<!\byou will learn that\s)(?<!\byou will learn\s)(?<!\bfor example\s)(?<!\bthis query\s)(?<!\bnote that\s)(?<!\bfor instance\s)(?<!\bsuch as\s)(?<!\bexplains that\s)\bapoc\.periodic\.iterate\s*\([\s\S]{0,40}\bDETACH\s+DELETE\b
      description: apoc.periodic.iterate batch procedure driving a DETACH DELETE (mass destructive delete at scale), excluding common teaching-phrase lead-ins
    - field: content
      operator: regex
      value: (?i)(?<!\byou will learn that\s)(?<!\byou will learn\s)(?<!\bfor example\s)(?<!\bthis query\s)(?<!\bnote that\s)(?<!\bfor instance\s)(?<!\bsuch as\s)(?<!\bexplains that\s)\bapoc\.(?:cypher\.runFile|load\.json(?:Params)?)\s*\(\s*[\x27"]file://
      description: apoc loader/runFile procedure pointed at a file:// URI (arbitrary local file read via Cypher), excluding common teaching-phrase lead-ins
  false_positives:
    - A database administrator running schema-clearing DETACH DELETE or dbms.security procedures through an approved maintenance console, not through an LLM-facing chat/tool interface
    - Documentation or tutorial text explaining Cypher DETACH DELETE / apoc syntax without an actual query being submitted for execution
    - Legitimate apoc.load.json calls reading a local file the operator explicitly configured as a static data source in a non-agent batch job
response:
  actions:
    - block_tool
    - alert
    - escalate
  message_template: |
    [ATR-2026-02100] LLM-generated Cypher query contains a destructive delete, administrative security procedure, or local-file-read gadget -- treat as prompt-to-Cypher injection, not a routine graph query.
confidence: 85