GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh — parse-server
GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh is a Path Traversal vulnerability in parse-server. A fix is available for parse-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Parse Server: `PagesRouter` path traversal allows reading files outside configured pages directory
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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 GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh.
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
The PagesRouter static file serving route is vulnerable to a path traversal attack that allows unauthenticated reading of files outside the configured pagesPath directory. The boundary check uses a string prefix comparison without enforcing a directory separator boundary. An attacker can use path traversal sequences to access files in sibling directories whose names share the same prefix as the pages directory (e.g. pages-secret starts with pages).
This affects any Parse Server deployment with the pages feature enabled (pages.enableRouter: true). Exploitation requires a sibling directory of pagesPath whose name begins with the same string as the pages directory name.
Patches
The fix enforces a path separator boundary in the check, ensuring resolved paths must be strictly inside the pagesPath directory.
Workarounds
Ensure the pagesPath directory has no sibling directories whose names begin with the same prefix. For example, if pagesPath is /srv/pages, ensure no directory like /srv/pages-backup or /srv/pages_old exists alongside it.
References
- GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh
- Fix for Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.5.0-alpha.8
- Fix for Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.8
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.6.8npm install parse-server@8.6.8 |
| 📦npm | parse-server | ≥ 9.0.0-alpha.1&&< 9.5.0-alpha.8 | 9.5.0-alpha.8npm install parse-server@9.5.0-alpha.8 |
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 8.6.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh 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 GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-hm3f-q6rw-m6wh across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.