GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r
parse-server: Relation `$relatedTo` query bypasses `protectedFields` and owning-object ACL
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | parse-server | >= 9.0.0, < 9.9.1-alpha.6 | 9.9.1-alpha.6 |
| npm | parse-server | < 8.6.80 | 8.6.80 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
### Impact
A relation query using the `$relatedTo` operator could read the membership of a `Relation` field even when that field was hidden from the requesting client by `protectedFields`, and even when the object owning the relation was not readable by the client under its ACL or class-level permissions. The request requires only the public API credentials that Parse clients normally carry — no user session, master key, or Cloud Code is needed.
As a result, an unauthenticated client who knows or obtains the owning object's `objectId` could enumerate the objects linked through a protected relation, or combine the operator with an `objectId` constraint to use it as a membership oracle — confirming whether a specific object is linked to a private parent. This affects applications that rely on `protectedFields` or object ACLs to keep `Relation` membership confidential, such as private group memberships, block lists, or account-to-resource associations.
### Patches
The relation query path now authorizes `$relatedTo` against the owning object before reading the relation join table, using the caller's authentication context. The relation key is checked against the owning class's `protectedFields` (the query is rejected if the key is protected), and the owning object must be readable by the caller under its class-level permissions, ACL, and pointer permissions; otherwise the relation returns no results. Master and maintenance requests are unaffected. The check is applied consistently whether `$relatedTo` is used at the top level or nested within `$or`, `$and`, or `$nor`.
### Workarounds
There is no complete workaround without upgrading. As mitigation, applications can avoid exposing sensitive membership through `Relation` fields to untrusted clients, or enforce access on the queried class in a `beforeFind` trigger.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53726
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10493
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10494
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server