CVE-2023-22474: Parse Server is vulnerable to authentication bypass via spoofing

Description

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`.

CVSS vector

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

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Privileges

Low

User interaction

None

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

None

Scope

Unchanged

Exploitation

Is it being used?

Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.7% · higher than 52% of CVEs

Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet

CISA KEVNot listed

Ransomware campaign useNot known

Affected products

Which versions

PA

parse-server · parse-community

< 5.4.1 · source: vendor, NVD

PS

Parse Server · Parseplatform

before 5.4.1 · source: CISA