dbcve.org
Parse ServerApplication · Parseplatform

CVE-2022-41878

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.10.19 / 5.3.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. In versions prior to 5.3.2 or 4.10.19, keywords that are specified in the Parse Server option `requestKeywordDenylist` can be injected via Cloud Code Webhooks or Triggers. This will result in the keyword being saved to the database, bypassing the `requestKeywordDenylist` option. This issue is fixed in versions 4.10.19, and 5.3.2. If upgrade is not possible, the following Workarounds may be applied: Configure your firewall to only allow trusted servers to make request to the Parse Server Cloud Code Webhooks API, or block the API completely if you are not using the feature.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Parse Server versions prior to 5.3.2 or 4.10.19, the `requestKeywordDenylist` security control can be bypassed by injecting arbitrary keywords via Cloud Code Webhooks or Triggers. The injected keywords get saved directly to the database, bypassing the denylist entirely and allowing malicious requests to proceed.

MitigationUpgrade to Parse Server 5.3.2 or 4.10.19. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, configure firewall rules to restrict Cloud Code Webhooks API access to trusted servers only, or disable the API if the feature is unused.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Parse ServerApplication
Affected:< 4.10.19>= 5.0.0, < 5.3.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed Parse Server version
    Run 'npm list parse-server' in your project directory, or check the version in your package.json file, or query the Parse Server health endpoint if available
    Affected if The version is less than 4.10.19, or greater than or equal to 5.0.0 but less than 5.3.2
  2. Verify if requestKeywordDenylist is configured
    Check your Parse Server configuration file (server.js, index.js, or config) for the 'requestKeywordDenylist' setting. This is typically set in the Parse Server initialization options.
    Affected if requestKeywordDenylist is actively configured with one or more denied keywords
  3. Confirm Cloud Code Webhooks API is accessible
    Check if the Cloud Code Webhooks API endpoint (/hooks, /functions, /jobs) is exposed and accessible from untrusted networks. Review your firewall rules and Parse Server security settings.
    Affected if Cloud Code Webhooks or Cloud Functions API endpoints are accessible from untrusted sources (not restricted to trusted IPs or internal servers)
  4. Inspect database for unexpected denylist keywords
    Query your Parse Server _GlobalConfig collection or configuration database table. Look for any requestKeywordDenylist entries that you did not explicitly configure, or entries containing suspicious/unexpected keywords.
    Affected if Found keywords in the denylist configuration that were not intentionally set by your administrators

Your environment is affected if you run a vulnerable Parse Server version AND have requestKeywordDenylist configured AND have Cloud Code Webhooks accessible to untrusted sources, with the additional risk indicator of unexpected keywords found in your denylist configuration.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.10.19 / 5.3.2 or later
Fixed in 4.10.195.3.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Parse Server 5.3.2 or 4.10.19. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, configure firewall rules to restrict Cloud Code Webhooks API access to trusted servers only, or disable the API if the feature is unused.

Recommended fix High confidence

Parse Server 4.10.19 (for 4.x users) or 5.3.2 (for 5.x users)

  1. Identify your current Parse Server version by checking package.json or running 'npm list parse-server'
  2. If running Parse Server 4.x: Update to version 4.10.19 or later by running 'npm install parse-server@^4.10.19'
  3. If running Parse Server 5.x: Update to version 5.3.2 or later by running 'npm install parse-server@^5.3.2'
  4. Verify the installation was successful by running 'npm list parse-server'
  5. Test the Cloud Code Webhooks and Triggers functionality in a staging environment
  6. Deploy to production after successful testing

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Parse Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-41878 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-41878 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data