CVE-2026-31871
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. Prior to 9.6.0-alpha.5 and 8.6.31, 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 sub-key name is interpolated directly into SQL string literals without escaping. An attacker who can send write requests to the Parse Server REST API can inject arbitrary SQL via a crafted sub-key name containing single quotes, potentially executing commands or reading data from the database, bypassing CLPs and ACLs. Only Postgres deployments are affected. This vulnerability is fixed in 9.6.0-alpha.5 and 8.6.31.
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 confidenceSQL injection vulnerability in Parse Server's PostgreSQL storage adapter allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL through crafted sub-key names in Increment operations on nested fields (e.g., stats.counter). The sub-key value is interpolated directly into SQL string literals without escaping, enabling command execution or data exfiltration via single quote injection.
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< 8.6.31>= 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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Identify Parse Server versionRun 'npm list parse-server' or check package.json to determine the installed Parse Server version numberAffected if The installed version is less than 8.6.31, OR is 9.0.0 through 9.6.0 inclusive (including 9.6.0 exactly)
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Confirm PostgreSQL storage adapterInspect your Parse Server configuration file (server.js, index.js, or your config) and look for the database adapter setting. Check for 'PostgresAdapter' or a PostgreSQL connection string in the databaseURI optionAffected if The database adapter is configured to use PostgreSQL (not MongoDB) - this vulnerability only affects PostgreSQL deployments
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Verify Increment operations on nested objects are in useReview your application code for any Parse Client SDK calls using the increment method on fields containing dots, such as 'object.increment("stats.counter")' or similar dot-notation field names in nested objectsAffected if Your application code performs Increment operations on fields using dot notation (e.g., stats.counter, user.profile.score)
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Check SQL query logging for suspicious patternsEnable PostgreSQL query logging and look for SQL queries where sub-key names appear unescaped inside single quotes in WHERE clauses or UPDATE statements - watch for raw dot-notation field names in SQL string literalsAffected if Logged SQL queries show unescaped sub-key names from dot-notation fields appearing directly within SQL string literals
You are affected if your Parse Server version falls within the vulnerable range AND you use PostgreSQL as your database adapter AND your application uses Increment operations on nested object fields with dot notation.
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 · scoped8.6.319.6.0
Upgrade Parse Server to version 9.6.0-alpha.5 or 8.6.31 or later. If upgrading is not immediately possible, implement input validation to reject sub-key names containing SQL metacharacters like single quotes before processing.
Parse Server 8.6.31 (for 8.x line) or Parse Server 9.6.0+ (for 9.x line)
- 1. Identify your current Parse Server version by checking package.json or running `parse-server --version`
- 2. If using Parse Server 8.x (version < 8.6.31), upgrade to version 8.6.31 by running: npm install [email protected]
- 3. If using Parse Server 9.x (version >= 9.0.0 and < 9.6.0 or exactly 9.6.0), upgrade to version 9.6.0 or later by running: npm install [email protected]
- 4. After upgrading, verify the installation: npm list parse-server
- 5. Test your Parse Server deployment to ensure the REST API functions correctly, particularly any Increment operations on nested fields
- 6. Ensure your deployment uses PostgreSQL as the database (this vulnerability only affects Postgres deployments)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-31871 — 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-2026-31871 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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