GHSA-mfj6-6p54-m98c
parse-server has GraphQL complexity validator exponential fragment traversal DoS
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.
Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
parse-servernpmDescription
Impact
The GraphQL query complexity validator can be exploited to cause a denial-of-service by sending a crafted query with binary fan-out fragment spreads. A single unauthenticated request can block the Node.js event loop for seconds, denying service to all concurrent users. This only affects deployments that have enabled the requestComplexity.graphQLDepth or requestComplexity.graphQLFields configuration options.
Patches
The fix replaces the per-branch fragment traversal with memoized fragment computation, reducing the traversal from exponential O(2^N) to linear O(N) time. Additionally, early termination aborts the traversal as soon as configured limits are exceeded.
Workarounds
Disable GraphQL complexity limits by setting requestComplexity.graphQLDepth and requestComplexity.graphQLFields to -1 (the default).
Resources
- GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-mfj6-6p54-m98c
- Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10344
- Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10345
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | parse-server | ≥ 9.0.0&&< 9.7.0-alpha.12 | 9.7.0-alpha.12 |
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.6.68 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for parse-server. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update parse-server to 9.7.0-alpha.12 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-mfj6-6p54-m98c 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-mfj6-6p54-m98c is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-mfj6-6p54-m98c. 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-mfj6-6p54-m98c in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-mfj6-6p54-m98c across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.