parse-server: Relation `$relatedTo` query bypasses `protectedFields` and owning-object ACLGHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r
Fix: parse-community/parse-server#10493GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r is a CWE-639 vulnerability in parse-server. A fix is available for parse-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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 GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
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
A relation query using the $relatedTo operator could read the membership of a Relation field even when that field was hidden from the requesting client by protectedFields, and even when the object owning the relation was not readable by the client under its ACL or class-level permissions. The request requires only the public API credentials that Parse clients normally carry — no user session, master key, or Cloud Code is needed.
As a result, an unauthenticated client who knows or obtains the owning object's objectId could enumerate the objects linked through a protected relation, or combine the operator with an objectId constraint to use it as a membership oracle — confirming whether a specific object is linked to a private parent. This affects applications that rely on protectedFields or object ACLs to keep Relation membership confidential, such as private group memberships, block lists, or account-to-resource associations.
Patches
The relation query path now authorizes $relatedTo against the owning object before reading the relation join table, using the caller's authentication context. The relation key is checked against the owning class's protectedFields (the query is rejected if the key is protected), and the owning object must be readable by the caller under its class-level permissions, ACL, and pointer permissions; otherwise the relation returns no results. Master and maintenance requests are unaffected. The check is applied consistently whether $relatedTo is used at the top level or nested within $or, $and, or $nor.
Workarounds
There is no complete workaround without upgrading. As mitigation, applications can avoid exposing sensitive membership through Relation fields to untrusted clients, or enforce access on the queried class in a beforeFind trigger.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | parse-server | ≥ 9.0.0&&< 9.9.1-alpha.6 | 9.9.1-alpha.6npm install parse-server@9.9.1-alpha.6 |
| 📦npm | parse-server | all versions | 8.6.80npm install parse-server@8.6.80 |
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 9.9.1-alpha.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.