GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6
parse-server has cloud function validator bypass via prototype chain traversal
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
An attacker can bypass Cloud Function validator access controls by appending .prototype.constructor to the function name in the URL. When a Cloud Function handler is declared using the function keyword and its validator is a plain object or arrow function, the trigger store traversal resolves the handler through its own prototype chain while the validator store fails to mirror this traversal, causing all access control enforcement to be skipped.
This allows unauthenticated callers to invoke Cloud Functions that are meant to be protected by validators such as requireUser, requireMaster, or custom validation logic.
Patches
The trigger store traversal now verifies that each intermediate node is a legitimate store object before continuing traversal. If the traversal encounters a non-store value such as a function handler, it stops and returns an empty store, preventing prototype chain escape.
Workarounds
Use arrow functions instead of the function keyword for Cloud Function handlers. Arrow functions do not have a prototype property and are not affected by this vulnerability.
Resources
- GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6
- Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10342
- Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10343
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | parse-server | ≥ 9.0.0&&< 9.7.0-alpha.11 | 9.7.0-alpha.11 |
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.6.67 |
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.11 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 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-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 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-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6. 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-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.