CVE-2026-32248: Parse Server Account Takeover Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87
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CWE-943
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32248 is a CRITICAL account takeover vulnerability (CWE-943: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Data Query Logic) affecting Parse Server libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves account takeover via operator injection in authentication data identifier. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38.

CVE-2026-32248 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32248
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-943: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Data Query Logic
Affected Product Parse Server
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-32248

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Parse Server dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

parse-server fixed: 9.6.0-alpha.12 
npm install parse-server@9.6.0-alpha.12
parse-server fixed: 8.6.38 
npm install parse-server@8.6.38
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls parse-server

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-32248, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls parse-server

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Parse Server in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 9.6.0-alpha.12), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls parse-server command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-943: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Data Query Logic, where the product generates a query intended to access or manipulate data in a data store such as a database, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that can modify the intended logic of the query. In Parse Server, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact An unauthenticated attacker can take over any user account that was created with an authentication provider that does not validate the format of the user identifier (e.g. anonymous authentication). By sending a crafted login request, the attacker can cause the server to perform a pattern-matching query instead of an exact-match lookup, allowing the attacker to match an existing user and obtain a valid session token for that user's account. Both MongoDB and PostgreSQL database backends are affected. Any Parse Server deployment that allows anonymous authentication (enabled by default) is vulnerable. ### Patches The fix enforces that the user identifier in authentication data is a string before using it in a database query. Non-string values are rejected with a validation error. ### Workarounds There is no known workaround. ### References - GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87 - Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.6.0-alpha.12 - Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.38

CVE-2026-32248 Affected Parse Server Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
9.6.0-alpha.128.6.38
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
parse-server
npm/parse-server
npm
≥ 9.0.0
< 9.6.0-alpha.12
9.6.0-alpha.12
parse-server
npm/parse-server
npm
< 8.6.38
8.6.38

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87
NVD — CVE-2026-32248 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32248
Parse Server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server
Parse Server Release RELEASE
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.38
Parse Server Release RELEASE
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.6.0-alpha.12

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32248?
CVE-2026-32248 is a security vulnerability in Parse Server involving Account takeover via operator injection in authentication data identifier under CWE-943: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Data Query Logic.
Which Parse Server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38 across affected packages: parse-server.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32248?
Upgrading to 9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is parse-server affected?
Yes, parse-server is affected in releases prior to 9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38. Upgrade your dependency to 9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-32248?
CVE-2026-32248 is classified under CWE-943: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Data Query Logic (The product generates a query intended to access or manipulate data in a data store such as a database, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that can modify the intended logic of the query.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-32248?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls parse-server'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87",
  "modified" : "2026-03-13T13:36:15Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-12T17:29:55Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32248" ],
  "summary" : "Parse Server: Account takeover via operator injection in authentication data identifier",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nAn unauthenticated attacker can take over any user account that was created with an authentication provider that does not validate the format of the user identifier (e.g. anonymous authentication). By sending a crafted login request, the attacker can cause the server to perform a pattern-matching query instead of an exact-match lookup, allowing the attacker to match an existing user and obtain a valid session token for that user's account. Both MongoDB and PostgreSQL database backends are affected. Any Parse Server deployment that allows anonymous authentication (enabled by default) is vulnerable.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe fix enforces that the user identifier in authentication data is a string before using it in a database query. Non-string values are rejected with a validation error.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere is no known workaround.\n\n### References\n\n- GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87\n- Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.6.0-alpha.12\n- Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.38",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "parse-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "9.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "9.6.0-alpha.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "parse-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.6.38"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32248"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.38"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.6.0-alpha.12"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-943" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-12T17:29:55Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-12T20:16:05Z"
  }
}