VulnerabilityPublished 10 Nov 2025Updated 12 Nov 2025

CVE-2025-64502: parse-server · Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data

Affects parse-serverSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.9 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

6.9Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 38% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None
Vulnerable system integrity: None
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: Low
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files of the vulnerable system to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Subsequent System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Nov 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
parse-community parse-server	Affected =8.5.0-alpha.5	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

European organizations should take the following specific actions to mitigate this vulnerability: 1) Upgrade parse-server to version 8.5.0-alpha.5 or later where the databaseOptions.allowPublicExplain configuration option is available. 2) Explicitly set databaseOptions.allowPublicExplain to false in configuration to restrict explain queries to master key authenticated requests, even if this may require testing for compatibility. 3) If immediate upgrade is not feasible, implement custom middleware to intercept and block explain queries from requests lacking the master key, ensuring no unauthorized explain queries are processed. 4) Enable detailed logging and monitoring of all explain query usage to detect and alert on suspicious or unexpected explain query activity. 5) Conduct internal audits of parse-server deployments to identify publicly accessible endpoints that could be exploited. 6) Review and harden access controls around master key distribution and usage to prevent unauthorized access. 7) Prepare for the upcoming major release where the default will change to disallow public explain queries, ensuring compatibility and security posture are maintained. 8) Educate development and operations teams about the risks of exposing database internals and the importance of secure configuration management. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on configuration changes, monitoring, and proactive blocking tailored to parse-server's architecture and the specifics of this vulnerability.

Description

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. The MongoDB `explain()` method provides detailed information about query execution plans, including index usage, collection scanning behavior, and performance metrics. Prior to version 8.5.0-alpha.5, Parse Server permits any client to execute explain queries without requiring the master key. This exposes database schema structure and field names, index configurations and query optimization details, query execution statistics and performance metrics, and potential attack vectors for database performance exploitation. In version 8.5.0-alpha.5, a new `databaseOptions.allowPublicExplain` configuration option has been introduced that allows to restrict `explain` queries to the master key. The option defaults to `true` for now to avoid a breaking change in production systems that depends on public `explain` availability. In addition, a security warning is logged when the option is not explicitly set, or set to `true`. In a future major release of Parse Server, the default will change to `false`. As a workaround, implement middleware to block explain queries from non-master-key requests, or monitor and alert on explain query usage in production environments.

Impact

For European organizations using parse-server versions prior to 8.5.0-alpha.5, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive database schema and performance information disclosure. Attackers gaining such insights can better understand the database structure, enabling them to craft more precise and efficient attacks, such as targeted data extraction, privilege escalation, or denial-of-service via query performance exploitation. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the leaked information significantly lowers the barrier for subsequent attacks. This is particularly critical for organizations handling sensitive or regulated data, such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, or government agencies in Europe. Exposure of index and query plan details can also aid attackers in identifying inefficient queries or bottlenecks to degrade service availability. The vulnerability's network-exploitable nature without authentication increases the attack surface, especially for publicly accessible parse-server deployments. Consequently, European organizations face increased risk of reconnaissance and follow-on attacks that could lead to data breaches or service disruptions if not mitigated promptly.

CWE-201Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The code transmits data to another actor, but a portion of the data includes sensitive information that should not be accessible to that actor.
Requirements
Specify which data in the software should be regarded as sensitive. Consider which types of users should have access to which types of data.
Implementation
Ensure that any possibly sensitive data specified in the requirements is verified with designers to ensure that it is either a calculated risk or mitigated elsewhere.
System Configuration
Setup default error messages so that unexpected errors do not disclose sensitive information.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Error Handling (opens in a new tab)
Logging (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.4 (opens in a new tab)
V14.3.3 (opens in a new tab)
V7.3.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Choosing Message Identifier (opens in a new tab)
Exploiting Incorrectly Configured SSL/TLS (opens in a new tab)
WiFi MAC Address Tracking (opens in a new tab)
WiFi SSID Tracking (opens in a new tab)
Cellular Broadcast Message Request (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 17 Nov 2025, 23:06 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-201

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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