CVE-2026-32878: Parse server Parse Server Vulnerable To Schema Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9ccr-fpp6-78qf
CWE-1321
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32878 is a MODERATE parse server vulnerable to schema vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Parse server libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves parse server vulnerable to schema poisoning via prototype pollution in deep copy. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 9.6.0-alpha.20, 8.6.44.

CVE-2026-32878 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32878
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9ccr-fpp6-78qf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Parse server
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-32878

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.20
npm install parse-server@9.6.0-alpha.20
parse-server fixed: 8.6.44
npm install parse-server@8.6.44
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-2026-32878, 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.20), 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-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'), where the product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype. 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 attacker can bypass the default request keyword denylist protection and the class-level permission for adding fields by sending a crafted request that exploits prototype pollution in the deep copy mechanism. This allows injecting fields into class schemas that have field addition locked down, and can cause permanent schema type conflicts that cannot be resolved even with the master key. ### Patches The vulnerable third-party deep copy library has been replaced with a built-in deep clone mechanism that handles prototype properties safely, allowing the existing denylist check to correctly detect and reject the prohibited keyword. ### Workarounds None. ### Vulnerability Independence This vulnerability is not caused by or dependent on a vulnerability in a third-party dependency. The third-party `deepcopy` library that was replaced in the fix has no known CVE or security advisory regarding this. The library functions as designed. It is not vulnerable. The vulnerability is in parse-server's own request processing logic. Parse-server's security-critical keyword denylist check runs after the deep copy step in the request pipeline. The deep copy step strips `__proto__` properties as a normal part of its cloning behavior, which means the denylist check never sees the prohibited key. This allows an attacker to bypass both the denylist protection and class-level permissions for adding fields, resulting in schema poisoning. The root cause is parse-server's reliance on a cloning mechanism that alters the shape of the data before the security check can inspect it. This is a logic flaw in parse-server's security pipeline, not a vulnerability in a dependency. Replacing the cloning mechanism was the fix for parse-server's own bug.

CVE-2026-32878 Affected Parse server Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
9.6.0-alpha.208.6.44
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
parse-server
npm
≥ 9.0.0
< 9.6.0-alpha.20
9.6.0-alpha.20
parse-server
npm
< 8.6.44
8.6.44

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32878?
CVE-2026-32878 is a security vulnerability in Parse server involving Parse Server vulnerable to schema poisoning via prototype pollution in deep copy under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Parse server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 9.6.0-alpha.20, 8.6.44 across affected packages: parse-server.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32878?
Upgrading to 9.6.0-alpha.20, 8.6.44 (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.20, 8.6.44. Upgrade your dependency to 9.6.0-alpha.20, 8.6.44 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-32878?
CVE-2026-32878 is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') (The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-32878?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9ccr-fpp6-78qf",
  "modified" : "2026-03-19T21:13:38Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-17T18:37:08Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32878" ],
  "summary" : "Parse Server vulnerable to schema poisoning via prototype pollution in deep copy",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nAn attacker can bypass the default request keyword denylist protection and the class-level permission for adding fields by sending a crafted request that exploits prototype pollution in the deep copy mechanism. This allows injecting fields into class schemas that have field addition locked down, and can cause permanent schema type conflicts that cannot be resolved even with the master key.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe vulnerable third-party deep copy library has been replaced with a built-in deep clone mechanism that handles prototype properties safely, allowing the existing denylist check to correctly detect and reject the prohibited keyword.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nNone.\n\n### Vulnerability Independence\n\nThis vulnerability is not caused by or dependent on a vulnerability in a third-party dependency.\n\nThe third-party `deepcopy` library that was replaced in the fix has no known CVE or security advisory regarding this. The library functions as designed. It is not vulnerable.\n\nThe vulnerability is in parse-server's own request processing logic. Parse-server's security-critical keyword denylist check runs after the deep copy step in the request pipeline. The deep copy step strips `__proto__` properties as a normal part of its cloning behavior, which means the denylist check never sees the prohibited key. This allows an attacker to bypass both the denylist protection and class-level permissions for adding fields, resulting in schema poisoning.\n\nThe root cause is parse-server's reliance on a cloning mechanism that alters the shape of the data before the security check can inspect it. This is a logic flaw in parse-server's security pipeline, not a vulnerability in a dependency. Replacing the cloning mechanism was the fix for parse-server's own bug.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/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.20"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "parse-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.6.44"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-9ccr-fpp6-78qf"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32878"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10200"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10201"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-17T18:37:08Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-18T22:16:25Z"
  }
}