Unauthenticated process crash via recursive query validation
Published Mar 18, 2026 · Updated Mar 18, 2026
Uncontrolled recursion in Parse Server before 8.6.45 and 9.0.0 through 9.6.0-alpha.20 allows remote attackers to crash the process. DatabaseController.validateQuery recursively descends into nested $or, $and, and $nor conditions without enforcing a maximum depth, exhausting the JavaScript call stack. Any unauthenticated client able to submit a query can terminate the server with one request and deny service to all connected clients; the depth limit remains disabled unless configured.
Summary
What happened
Uncontrolled recursion in Parse Server before 8.6.45 and 9.0.0 through 9.6.0-alpha.20 allows remote attackers to crash the process. DatabaseController.validateQuery recursively descends into nested $or, $and, and $nor conditions without enforcing a maximum depth, exhausting the JavaScript call stack. Any unauthenticated client able to submit a query can terminate the server with one request and deny service to all connected clients; the depth limit remains disabled unless configured.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-32944
- Published
- Mar 18, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 18, 2026
- Vendor
- Parse Platform
- Product
- Parse Server
- Classifications
- CWE-674, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 18, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 8.6.45
- Affected versionversion=>= 9.0.0, < 9.6.0-alpha.21
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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