CVE-2026-30946

Workarounds

There is no known workaround.

References

• GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-cmj3-wx7h-ffvg
• Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.5.2-alpha.2
• Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.15

An unauthenticated attacker can exhaust Parse Server resources (CPU, memory, database connections) through crafted queries that exploit the lack of complexity limits in the REST and GraphQL APIs.

All Parse Server deployments using the REST or GraphQL API are affected.

The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap. Typical impact: resource exhaustion leading to denial of service.

Kodem intelligence

The vulnerability is fixed by introducing configurable request complexity limits via the requestComplexity server option with the following keys:

• subqueryDepth: Maximum nesting depth for $inQuery, $notInQuery, $select, $dontSelect
• includeDepth: Maximum depth of dot-separated include paths
• includeCount: Maximum number of include fields per query
• graphQLDepth: Maximum depth of GraphQL field selections
• graphQLFields: Maximum number of field selections in a GraphQL query

Requests using master key or maintenance key bypass these limits. Set any property to -1 to disable that specific limit.

In versions 8.6.15 and 9.5.2-alpha.2, these limits were enabled by default. This unintentionally introduced a breaking change for some applications with legitimate complex queries. In versions 8.6.46 and 9.6.0-alpha.22, the defaults were changed to -1 (disabled) to restore backwards compatibility.

The limits remain available as configuration options. To mitigate the vulnerability, upgrade to a patched version and set each requestComplexity property to a value appropriate for your application.

1. What is CVE-2026-30946? CVE-2026-30946 is a high-severity allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability in parse-server (npm), affecting versions < 8.6.15. It is fixed in 8.6.15, 9.5.2-alpha.2. The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap.
2. Which versions of parse-server are affected by CVE-2026-30946? parse-server (npm) versions < 8.6.15 is affected.
3. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-30946? Yes. CVE-2026-30946 is fixed in 8.6.15, 9.5.2-alpha.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
4. Is CVE-2026-30946 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-30946 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
5. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-30946 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
6. How do I fix CVE-2026-30946?
   • Upgrade parse-server to 8.6.15 or later
   • Upgrade parse-server to 9.5.2-alpha.2 or later

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