CVE-2023-32689: Parse server Phishing Attack Vulnerability By Uploading Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9prm-jqwx-45x9
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CVSS 6.3
CWE-434
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-32689 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.3) phishing attack vulnerability by uploading vulnerability (CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type) affecting Parse server libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves phishing attack vulnerability by uploading malicious html file. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.4.4, 6.1.1.

CVE-2023-32689 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-32689
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9prm-jqwx-45x9
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.3
CWE Classification CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
Affected Product Parse server
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-32689

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: 5.4.4 
npm install parse-server@5.4.4
parse-server fixed: 6.1.1 
npm install parse-server@6.1.1
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-2023-32689, 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 5.4.4), 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-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type, where the product allows the upload or transfer of dangerous file types that are automatically processed within its environment. 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 Phishing attack vulnerability by uploading malicious files. A malicious user could upload a HTML file to Parse Server via its public API. That HTML file would then be accessible at the internet domain at which Parse Server is hosted. The URL of the the uploaded HTML could be shared for phishing attacks. The HTML page may seem legitimate because it is served under the internet domain where Parse Server is hosted, which may be the same as a company's official website domain. An additional security issue arises when the Parse JavaScript SDK is used. The SDK stores sessions in the internet browser's local storage, which usually restricts data access depending on the internet domain. A malicious HTML file could contain a script that retrieves the user's session token from local storage and then share it with the attacker. ### Patches The fix adds a new Parse Server option `fileUpload.fileExtensions` to restrict file upload on Parse Server by file extension. It is recommended to restrict file upload for HTML file extensions, which this fix disables by default. If an app requires upload of files with HTML file extensions, the option can be set to `['.*']` or another custom value to override the default. ### References - https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-9prm-jqwx-45x9 - https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8538 (Parse Server 6) - https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8537 (Parse Server 5)

CVE-2023-32689 Affected Parse server Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.4.46.1.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
parse-server
npm/parse-server
npm
< 5.4.4
5.4.4
parse-server
npm/parse-server
npm
≥ 6.0.0
< 6.1.1
6.1.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-9prm-jqwx-45x9
NVD — CVE-2023-32689 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32689
Parse server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8537
Parse server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8538
Parse server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-32689?
CVE-2023-32689 is a security vulnerability in Parse server involving Phishing attack vulnerability by uploading malicious HTML file under CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type.
Which Parse server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.4.4, 6.1.1 across affected packages: parse-server.
What version fixes CVE-2023-32689?
Upgrading to 5.4.4, 6.1.1 (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 5.4.4, 6.1.1. Upgrade your dependency to 5.4.4, 6.1.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-32689?
CVE-2023-32689 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-32689?
CVE-2023-32689 is classified under CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (The product allows the upload or transfer of dangerous file types that are automatically processed within its environment.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2023-32689?
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-9prm-jqwx-45x9",
  "modified" : "2023-05-31T23:39:15Z",
  "published" : "2023-05-31T23:39:15Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-32689" ],
  "summary" : "Phishing attack vulnerability by uploading malicious HTML file",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nPhishing attack vulnerability by uploading malicious files. A malicious user could upload a HTML file to Parse Server via its public API. That HTML file would then be accessible at the internet domain at which Parse Server is hosted. The URL of the the uploaded HTML could be shared for phishing attacks. The HTML page may seem legitimate because it is served under the internet domain where Parse Server is hosted, which may be the same as a company's official website domain.\n\nAn additional security issue arises when the Parse JavaScript SDK is used. The SDK stores sessions in the internet browser's local storage, which usually restricts data access depending on the internet domain. A malicious HTML file could contain a script that retrieves the user's session token from local storage and then share it with the attacker.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe fix adds a new Parse Server option `fileUpload.fileExtensions` to restrict file upload on Parse Server by file extension. It is recommended to restrict file upload for HTML file extensions, which this fix disables by default. If an app requires upload of files with HTML file extensions, the option can be set to `['.*']` or another custom value to override the default.\n\n### References\n\n- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-9prm-jqwx-45x9\n- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8538 (Parse Server 6)\n- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8537 (Parse Server 5)\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "parse-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.4.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "parse-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "6.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.1.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-9prm-jqwx-45x9"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32689"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8537"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/8538"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-434" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-05-31T23:39:15Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-05-30T18:15:10Z"
  }
}