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CVE-2023-22474

Parse Server is vulnerable to authentication bypass via spoofing

8.7 HighFix available

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
High
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.66%Down 0.2 points since Feb 4, 2023
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 8.7

Parse Server is vulnerable to authentication bypass via spoofing

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy.

Record
CVE-2023-22474
CVSS 3.1
8.7 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-290
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-0561 8.7

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy.

Record
EUVD-2023-0561
CVSS 3.1
8.7 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x 8.7

Parse Server option `masterKeyIps` vulnerability to IP spoofing

Impact

Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value.

Patches

The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy accordingly, see the express framework's trust proxy setting.

References

Record
GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x
CVSS 3.1
8.7 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-290
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 8.7

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy.

Record
CVE-2023-22474
CVSS 3.1
8.7 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
CVSS 3.1
8.1 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-290
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 8.7

Parse Server is vulnerable to authentication bypass via spoofing

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy.

Record
CVE-2023-22474
CVSS 3.1
8.7 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-290
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x 8.7

Parse Server option `masterKeyIps` vulnerability to IP spoofing

Impact

Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value.

Patches

The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy accordingly, see the express framework's trust proxy setting.

References

Record
GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x
CVSS 3.1
8.7 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-290
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVBIT-parse-2023-22474 No score

Parse Server is vulnerable to authentication bypass via spoofing

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header x-forwarded-for to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server, then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option masterKeyIps by setting an allowed IP address as the x-forwarded-for header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option trustProxy.

Record
BIT-parse-2023-22474
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
parse-server
npm
before 5.4.1
5.4.1
parse
Bitnami
before 5.4.1
5.4.1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2023-22474 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.7) in Parseplatform Parse Server, published January 31, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.66%, the 51st percentile. Fixed in parse-server 5.4.1.

References

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