CVE-2026-30972 — parse-server
CVE-2026-30972 is a CWE-799 vulnerability in parse-server. A fix is available for parse-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Parse Server has a rate limit bypass via batch request endpoint
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-2026-30972.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
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
Impact
Parse Server's rate limiting middleware is applied at the Express middleware layer, but the batch request endpoint (/batch) processes sub-requests internally by routing them directly through the Promise router, bypassing Express middleware including rate limiting. An attacker can bundle multiple requests targeting a rate-limited endpoint into a single batch request to circumvent the configured rate limit.
Any Parse Server deployment that relies on the built-in rate limiting feature is affected.
Patches
The fix adds a pre-flight check in the batch request handler that counts the number of sub-requests targeting each rate-limited path and rejects the entire batch request if any path's count exceeds its configured requestCount.
Note that this is a server-level rate limit that counts sub-requests within a single batch request. Requests already consumed in the current time window by previous individual or batch requests are not counted against the batch, so the effective limit may be higher when combining individual and batch requests. For comprehensive rate limiting protection, use a reverse proxy or WAF.
Workarounds
Use a reverse proxy or web application firewall (WAF) to enforce rate limiting before requests reach Parse Server.
References
- GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-775h-3xrc-c228
- Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.5.2-alpha.10
- Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.23
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | parse-server | ≥ 9.0.0-alpha.1&&< 9.5.2-alpha.10 | 9.5.2-alpha.10npm install parse-server@9.5.2-alpha.10 |
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.6.23npm install parse-server@8.6.23 |
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 9.5.2-alpha.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-30972 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-30972 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-30972. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-30972 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-30972 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.