CVE-2021-39187: Parse server Parse Server Crashes With Query Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xqp8-w826-hh6x
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-755 CWE-20 CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-39187 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) parse server crashes with query vulnerability (CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions) affecting Parse server libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves parse server crashes with query parameter. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.10.3.

CVE-2021-39187 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-39187
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xqp8-w826-hh6x
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions
Affected Product Parse server
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-39187

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: 4.10.3 
npm install parse-server@4.10.3
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-2021-39187, 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 4.10.3), 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-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions, where the product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition. 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 Parse Server crashes when if a query request contains an invalid value for the `explain` option. This is due to a bug in the MongoDB Node.js driver which throws an exception that Parse Server cannot catch. ### Patches Upgrade to Parse Server 4.10.3

CVE-2021-39187 Affected Parse server Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.10.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
parse-server
npm/parse-server
npm
< 4.10.3
4.10.3

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-xqp8-w826-hh6x
NVD — CVE-2021-39187 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-39187
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/commit/308668c89474223e2448be92d6823b52c1c313ec
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/4.10.3
jira.mongodb.org/browse/node-3463 WEB
https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/NODE-3463

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-39187?
CVE-2021-39187 is a security vulnerability in Parse server involving Parse Server crashes with query parameter under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions.
Which Parse server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.10.3 across affected packages: parse-server.
What version fixes CVE-2021-39187?
Upgrading to 4.10.3 (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 4.10.3. Upgrade your dependency to 4.10.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-39187?
CVE-2021-39187 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-39187?
CVE-2021-39187 is classified under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions (The product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-39187?
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-xqp8-w826-hh6x",
  "modified" : "2022-08-11T16:55:01Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-02T16:51:14Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-39187" ],
  "summary" : "Parse Server crashes with query parameter",
  "details" : "### Impact\nParse Server crashes when if a query request contains an invalid value for the `explain` option. This is due to a bug in the MongoDB Node.js driver which throws an exception that Parse Server cannot catch.\n\n### Patches\nUpgrade to Parse Server 4.10.3",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "parse-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.10.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-xqp8-w826-hh6x"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-39187"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/commit/308668c89474223e2448be92d6823b52c1c313ec"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/4.10.3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/NODE-3463"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-74", "CWE-755" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-02T16:25:16Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-02T16:15:00Z"
  }
}