The function recursivelyGetAreaParentsWithNames in bookbrainz-data-js/src/func/area.ts uses a recursive CTE to walk the area hierarchy via musicbrainz.l_area_area. When a cycle exists in the area relationships (e.g., area 119788), the query runs forever.

Impact:
  
On cesaria, this query ran for 54 days (since 2026-06-17), consuming 100% CPU and 70 GB RAM (56% of the machine's memory).
  
Root Cause:
  
The cycle guard WHERE entity0 != descendant only prevents direct self-references, not multi-hop cycles (A→B→C→A). There is also no depth limit on the recursion.
  
Suggested Fix:
  

• Add a depth limit (e.g., WHERE depth < 10) to the recursive term
• And/or use PostgreSQL's CYCLE clause (PG14+) or track visited nodes in an array
• Also: parameterize areaId to prevent SQL injection (where entity1 = ${areaId} is currently interpolated directly)
    
  File: src/func/area.ts in bookbrainz-data-js (https://github.com/metabrainz/bookbrainz-data-js)