CVE-2025-64502 — parse-server
Fix: parse-community/parse-server@4456b02CVE-2025-64502 is a CWE-201 vulnerability in parse-server. A fix is available for parse-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Parse Server allows public `explain` queries which may expose sensitive database performance information and schema details
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2025-64502.
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.
parse-servernpmDescription
Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. The MongoDB explain() method provides detailed information about query execution plans, including index usage, collection scanning behavior, and performance metrics. Prior to version 8.5.0-alpha.5, Parse Server permits any client to execute explain queries without requiring the master key. This exposes database schema structure and field names, index configurations and query optimization details, query execution statistics and performance metrics, and potential attack vectors for database performance exploitation. In version 8.5.0-alpha.5, a new databaseOptions.allowPublicExplain configuration option has been introduced that allows to restrict explain queries to the master key. The option defaults to true for now to avoid a breaking change in production systems that depends on public explain availability. In addition, a security warning is logged when the option is not explicitly set, or set to true. In a future major release of Parse Server, the default will change to false. As a workaround, implement middleware to block explain queries from non-master-key requests, or monitor and alert on explain query usage in production environments.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.5.0-alpha.5npm install parse-server@8.5.0-alpha.5 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for parse-server, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update parse-server to 8.5.0-alpha.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-64502 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 CVE-2025-64502 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.