CVE-2025-53364 in parse-server
Summary
by MITRE • 07/10/2025
Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Starting in 5.3.0 and before 7.5.3 and 8.2.2, the Parse Server GraphQL API previously allowed public access to the GraphQL schema without requiring a session token or the master key. While schema introspection reveals only metadata and not actual data, this metadata can still expand the potential attack surface. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.3 and 8.2.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-53364 affects Parse Server versions between 5.3.0 and 7.5.2, as well as versions before 8.2.2, presenting a significant security risk through improper access controls within the GraphQL API implementation. This issue stems from the GraphQL schema introspection feature being accessible to unauthenticated users, which violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control. The flaw allows attackers to query the GraphQL schema without requiring valid session tokens or master keys, creating an expanded attack surface that could enable further exploitation attempts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the GraphQL API endpoint configuration where authentication checks are either missing or improperly enforced. When users access the GraphQL introspection endpoint, they can retrieve metadata about the schema structure, including available types, fields, arguments, and directives without proper authorization. This behavior directly corresponds to CWE-284 Access Control Bypass, as the system fails to properly enforce access controls for schema introspection queries. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient authorization checks where the GraphQL implementation does not properly validate user credentials before allowing schema exploration.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to gather comprehensive information about the backend system architecture and data models, which can significantly aid in planning more sophisticated attacks. While the introspection does not directly expose sensitive data, it provides attackers with detailed knowledge of the system's internal structure, including field names, data types, and relationships between different entities. This intelligence can be leveraged to craft more targeted attacks against specific endpoints or data access patterns, potentially leading to data breaches or further privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability affects any organization using Parse Server versions within the affected range, making it a widespread concern across deployments that have not yet applied the relevant patches.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations by upgrading to Parse Server versions 7.5.3 or 8.2.2, which contain the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. The patch addresses the authentication bypass issue by enforcing proper session token validation and master key requirements before allowing GraphQL schema introspection. Security teams should also consider implementing additional network-level controls such as firewall rules that restrict access to GraphQL endpoints, particularly in environments where the schema introspection functionality is not required for legitimate business operations. Organizations can also apply rate limiting and monitoring to detect unusual patterns of schema queries that might indicate reconnaissance activities. The fix aligns with ATT&CK technique T1069.001 Credential Access: Credentials in Files, as it addresses improper access controls that could lead to credential exposure through schema exploration. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the importance of proper API security implementation and the need for comprehensive access control mechanisms in modern backend systems that handle sensitive data operations.