GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 — parse-server
Fix: parse-community/parse-server#10342GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 is a CWE-863 vulnerability in parse-server. A fix is available for parse-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
parse-server has cloud function validator bypass via prototype chain traversal
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6.
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
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.11npm install parse-server@9.7.0-alpha.11 |
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.6.67npm install parse-server@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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
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 Security finds GHSA-vpj2-qq7w-5qq6 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.