CVE-2026-31856
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 · uneditedParse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. A SQL injection vulnerability exists in the PostgreSQL storage adapter when processing Increment operations on nested object fields using dot notation (e.g., stats.counter). The amount value is interpolated directly into the SQL query without parameterization or type validation. An attacker who can send write requests to the Parse Server REST API can inject arbitrary SQL subqueries to read any data from the database, bypassing CLPs and ACLs. MongoDB deployments are not affected. This vulnerability is fixed in 9.6.0-alpha.3 and 8.6.29.
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 confidenceParse Server's PostgreSQL storage adapter has a SQL injection vulnerability where Increment operations on nested fields (e.g., stats.counter) interpolate the amount value directly into SQL queries without parameterization. Attackers with REST API write access can inject arbitrary SQL subqueries to read database data, bypassing CLPs and ACLs.
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< 8.6.29>= 9.0.0, < 9.6.0= 9.6.0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed Parse Server versionRun `npm list parse-server` in the project directory, or check the version in package.json, or query the Parse Server health endpointAffected if Version is < 8.6.29, or >= 9.0.0 and < 9.6.0, or exactly 9.6.0
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Verify PostgreSQL is the active database adapterCheck the Parse Server configuration file (server.js, index.js, or config) for the databaseAdapter setting; confirm it uses the PostgresStorageAdapterAffected if PostgreSQL is configured as the database adapter and version is in the affected range
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Confirm REST API write access is enabledCheck Parse Server config for `allowClientClassCreation: true` (default) or explicit PUT/POST endpoints accessible without authentication; verify no middleware blocks write operationsAffected if REST API write access is enabled (this is the default configuration)
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Identify use of Increment operations on nested fieldsReview application code for Parse Increment operations on dot-notation fields (e.g., `object.increment("stats.counter", amount)`); check database query logs for Increment operations against nested JSON/JSONB columnsAffected if Application uses Increment() method on nested fields like 'stats.counter' with PostgreSQL adapter
User is affected if running a vulnerable Parse Server version with PostgreSQL adapter, REST API write access is enabled, and the application uses Increment operations on nested fields.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped8.6.299.6.0
Upgrade Parse Server to version 8.6.29 or later (or 9.6.0-alpha.3+). Until then, disable REST API write access or restrict network exposure to trusted clients only.
Parse Server 8.6.29 (for 8.x users) or 9.6.0+ (for 9.x users)
- 1. Identify the currently running Parse Server version by checking package.json or running `parse-server --version`
- 2. For Parse Server 8.x releases: upgrade to version 8.6.29 or later
- 3. For Parse Server 9.x releases: upgrade to version 9.6.0 or later (9.6.0-alpha.3 is a pre-release fix)
- 4. Run `npm install [email protected]` or `npm install [email protected]` (or latest stable) to update the dependency
- 5. Restart the Parse Server instance to apply the updated package
- 6. Verify the fix by testing Increment operations on nested object fields with dot notation (e.g., stats.counter) against the PostgreSQL database
- 7. Ensure no regressions in existing functionality, particularly database operations
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-31856 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-31856 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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