2026-03-24 18:24CVE-2026-33538GitHub_M
PUBLISHED5.2CWE-400

Parse Server: Denial of service via unindexed database query for unconfigured auth providers

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Prior to versions 8.6.58 and 9.6.0-alpha.52, an unauthenticated attacker can cause denial of service by sending authentication requests with arbitrary, unconfigured provider names. The server executes a database query for each unconfigured provider before rejecting the request, and since no database index exists for unconfigured providers, each request triggers a full collection scan on the user database. This can be parallelized to saturate database resources. This issue has been patched in versions 8.6.58 and 9.6.0-alpha.52.

Problem type

Affected products

parse-community

parse-server

< 8.6.58 - AFFECTED

>= 9.0.0, < 9.6.0-alpha.52 - AFFECTED

References

GitHub Security Advisories

GHSA-g4cf-xj29-wqqr

Parse Server: Denial of Service via unindexed database query for unconfigured auth providers

https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g4cf-xj29-wqqr

Impact

An unauthenticated attacker can cause Denial of Service by sending authentication requests with arbitrary, unconfigured provider names. The server executes a database query for each unconfigured provider before rejecting the request, and since no database index exists for unconfigured providers, each request triggers a full collection scan on the user database. This can be parallelized to saturate database resources.

Patches

The fix validates that an authentication provider is configured before executing any database query. Requests with unconfigured providers are now rejected immediately without querying the database.

Workarounds

There is no known workaround other than upgrading.

JSON source

https://cveawg.mitre.org/api/cve/CVE-2026-33538
Click to expand
{
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "cveMetadata": {
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-33538",
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-03-24T18:37:24.020Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-03-20T18:05:11.831Z",
    "datePublished": "2026-03-24T18:24:51.595Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "providerMetadata": {
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-03-24T18:24:51.595Z"
      },
      "title": "Parse Server: Denial of service via unindexed database query for unconfigured auth providers",
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Prior to versions 8.6.58 and 9.6.0-alpha.52, an unauthenticated attacker can cause denial of service by sending authentication requests with arbitrary, unconfigured provider names. The server executes a database query for each unconfigured provider before rejecting the request, and since no database index exists for unconfigured providers, each request triggers a full collection scan on the user database. This can be parallelized to saturate database resources. This issue has been patched in versions 8.6.58 and 9.6.0-alpha.52."
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "vendor": "parse-community",
          "product": "parse-server",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "< 8.6.58",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": ">= 9.0.0, < 9.6.0-alpha.52",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "description": "CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption",
              "cweId": "CWE-400",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-g4cf-xj29-wqqr",
          "name": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-g4cf-xj29-wqqr",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ]
        },
        {
          "url": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10270",
          "name": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10270",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ]
        },
        {
          "url": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10271",
          "name": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10271",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ]
        },
        {
          "url": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/commit/40eb442e02672986730007d0a1edb22c1c4bd357",
          "name": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/commit/40eb442e02672986730007d0a1edb22c1c4bd357",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ]
        },
        {
          "url": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/commit/fbac847499e57f243315c5fc7135be1d58bb8e54",
          "name": "https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/commit/fbac847499e57f243315c5fc7135be1d58bb8e54",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {}
      ]
    },
    "adp": [
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP",
          "dateUpdated": "2026-03-24T18:37:24.020Z"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment",
        "metrics": [
          {}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}