GHSA-7cx5-254x-cgrq BIT-parse-2025-64502 CVE-2025-64502
Parse Server allows public `explain` queries which may expose sensitive database performance information and schema details
- Severity
- 0.0 / 10
- Medium · CVSS 4.0
- Exploit chance (EPSS)
- 0.45%
- Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 38.84% of scored vulnerabilities.
- Known exploited
- No
- Not in CISA's catalog
- Weakness
- CWE-201 Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data
- Fix
8.5.0-alpha.5- Upgrade parse-server to this version or later
Description
Impact
The MongoDB explain() method provides detailed information about query execution plans, including index usage, collection scanning behavior, and performance metrics. Parse Server permits any client to execute explain queries without requiring the master key. This exposes:
- Database schema structure and field names
- Index configurations and query optimization details
- Query execution statistics and performance metrics
- Potential attack vectors for database performance exploitation
Patches
A new databaseOptions.allowPublicExplain configuration option has been introduced that allows to restrict explain queries to the master key. The option defaults to true for now to avoid a breaking change in production systems that depends on public explain availability. In addition, a security warning is logged when the option is not explicitly set, or set to true. In a future major release of Parse Server, the default will change to false.
Workarounds
Implementing middleware to block explain queries from non-master-key requests, or monitor and alert on explain query usage in production environments.
Affected versions
npm
| Package | Vulnerable | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| parse-server | < 8.5.0-alpha.5 |
8.5.0-alpha.5 |
How to fix
Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.
parse-server npm → 8.5.0-alpha.5
- npm
npm install parse-server@8.5.0-alpha.5- yarn
yarn add parse-server@8.5.0-alpha.5- pnpm
pnpm add parse-server@8.5.0-alpha.5
Severity breakdown
CVSS 4.0 0.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:N/SA:N
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- None
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- None
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- None
- Confidentiality (subsequent systems)
- Low
- Integrity (subsequent systems)
- None
- Availability (subsequent systems)
- None
Weakness
CWE-201: Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data
The code transmits data to another actor, but a portion of the data includes sensitive information that should not be accessible to that actor.
How to prevent it
- Requirements: Specify which data in the software should be regarded as sensitive. Consider which types of users should have access to which types of data.
- Implementation: Ensure that any possibly sensitive data specified in the requirements is verified with designers to ensure that it is either a calculated risk or mitigated elsewhere. Any information that is not necessary to the functionality should be removed in order to lower both the overhead and the possibility of security sensitive data being sent.
- System Configuration: Setup default error messages so that unexpected errors do not disclose sensitive information.
- Architecture and Design: Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
References
Advisories
Packages
Other links
Timeline
- Published
- Last updated by the source
- Latest EPSS score
Related advisories
| Advisory | Severity | Why it's related |
|---|---|---|
| GHSA-r899-h629-j84r Parse Server vulnerable to stored XSS via malformed Content-Type bypassing file upload extension blocklist | Low | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-97pr-9hgg-3p8r parse-server: LiveQuery discloses object data to a subscriber across an ACL read-access change | Low | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-v8x7-r927-cc93 parse-server: Stored XSS via non-standard file extension bypassing file upload extension blocklist | Low | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-cgxm-vr2f-6fj8 parse-server: Denial of service via exponential-time processing of deeply nested query operators | High | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r parse-server: Relation `$relatedTo` query bypasses `protectedFields` and owning-object ACL | Medium | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-75v4-m273-5j49 parse-server: Endpoints `/login` and `/verifyPassword` disclose MFA secrets and protected fields when `_User` get is denied | Medium | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-7wqv-xjf3-x35v parse-server: Stored XSS via trailing-dot filename bypassing file upload extension blocklist | Low | Also affects parse-server |
| GHSA-p84r-h6rx-f2xr parse-server: Server option routeAllowList is bypassable through batch sub-requests | Medium | Also affects parse-server |
MergeHarbor checks every repository's dependencies against this database, ranks what matters by exploitability and reachability, routes it to the owning team and opens the fix pull request.
Check your repos with MergeHarbor