CVE-2026-30966

Workarounds

There is no known workaround.

References

• GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-5f92-jrq3-28rc
• Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.5.2-alpha.7
• Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.20

Parse Server's internal tables, which store Relation field mappings such as role memberships, can be directly accessed via the REST API or GraphQL API by any client using only the application key. No master key is required.

An attacker can create, read, update, or delete records in any internal relationship table. Exploiting this allows the attacker to inject themselves into any Parse Role, gaining all permissions associated with that role, including full read, write, and delete access to classes protected by role-based Class-Level Permissions (CLP). Similarly, writing to any such table that backs a Relation field used in a pointerFields CLP bypasses that access control.

CVE-2026-30966 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (9.5.2-alpha.7, 8.6.20); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

The fix blocks direct client access to internal relationship tables in Parse Server's role security enforcement. All create, find, get, update, and delete operations on these tables now require the master key or maintenance key.

1. What is CVE-2026-30966? CVE-2026-30966 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in parse-server (npm), affecting versions >= 9.0.0-alpha.1, < 9.5.2-alpha.7. It is fixed in 9.5.2-alpha.7, 8.6.20.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-30966? CVE-2026-30966 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of parse-server are affected by CVE-2026-30966? parse-server (npm) versions >= 9.0.0-alpha.1, < 9.5.2-alpha.7 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-30966? Yes. CVE-2026-30966 is fixed in 9.5.2-alpha.7, 8.6.20. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-30966 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-30966 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-30966 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-30966?
   • Upgrade parse-server to 9.5.2-alpha.7 or later
   • Upgrade parse-server to 8.6.20 or later