CVE-2026-30972

Workarounds

Use a reverse proxy or web application firewall (WAF) to enforce rate limiting before requests reach Parse Server.

References

• GitHub security advisory: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-775h-3xrc-c228
• Fix Parse Server 9: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.5.2-alpha.10
• Fix Parse Server 8: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.23

Parse Server's rate limiting middleware is applied at the Express middleware layer, but the batch request endpoint (/batch) processes sub-requests internally by routing them directly through the Promise router, bypassing Express middleware including rate limiting. An attacker can bundle multiple requests targeting a rate-limited endpoint into a single batch request to circumvent the configured rate limit.

Any Parse Server deployment that relies on the built-in rate limiting feature is affected.

Kodem intelligence

The fix adds a pre-flight check in the batch request handler that counts the number of sub-requests targeting each rate-limited path and rejects the entire batch request if any path's count exceeds its configured requestCount.

Note that this is a server-level rate limit that counts sub-requests within a single batch request. Requests already consumed in the current time window by previous individual or batch requests are not counted against the batch, so the effective limit may be higher when combining individual and batch requests. For comprehensive rate limiting protection, use a reverse proxy or WAF.

1. What is CVE-2026-30972? CVE-2026-30972 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in parse-server (npm), affecting versions >= 9.0.0-alpha.1, < 9.5.2-alpha.10. It is fixed in 9.5.2-alpha.10, 8.6.23.
2. Which versions of parse-server are affected by CVE-2026-30972? parse-server (npm) versions >= 9.0.0-alpha.1, < 9.5.2-alpha.10 is affected.
3. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-30972? Yes. CVE-2026-30972 is fixed in 9.5.2-alpha.10, 8.6.23. Upgrade to this version or later.
4. Is CVE-2026-30972 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-30972 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-2026-30972 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-2026-30972?
   • Upgrade parse-server to 9.5.2-alpha.10 or later
   • Upgrade parse-server to 8.6.23 or later

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