Parse Server option masterKeyIps vulnerability to IP spoofing

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

8.7 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2023-22474: 0.66% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 51.77 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

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 - https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x - https://expressjs.com/en/guide/behind-proxies.html

Published by the source

31 Jan 2023, 22:21 UTC

Last modified by the source

10 Sep 2026, 03:49 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:21 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2023-22474

Advisory: Parse Server option `masterKeyIps` vulnerability to IP spoofing
IDs: CVE-2023-22474, GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2023-22474 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:21 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.7)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: parse-server 5.4.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm parse-server: affected < 5.4.1; fixed in 5.4.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls parse-server --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on parse-server.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x (OSV record GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x lists affected ranges: npm parse-server >=0 <5.4.1 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vm5r-c87r-pf6x lists affected ranges: npm parse-server >=0 <5.4.1)

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