CVE-2020-5251: Open Source Vulnerability in Bitnami Parse Server

parse Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

06/03/2024
Yes i
Medium
Not published

CVE-2020-5251: Information disclosure in parse-server. Affects parse versions < 4.1.0. Fixed in 4.1.0. How to fix ↓

Also tracked for

The same CVE-2020-5251 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.

Free scan

Check if this vulnerability affects your application

Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.

Check my app free

No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds

Sponsored Devnack Mobile apps built by Devnack Design, build and launch iOS and Android apps with a senior product team. From idea to store release Start a project

Background

Bitnami Parse Server is an open-source backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that allows developers to build scalable and secure applications. It provides a complete infrastructure for managing user authentication, data storage, and push notifications. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in versions prior to 4.1.0 that allows an attacker to fetch all user objects by exploiting a regex injection in the NoSQL query. By using a regex on the sessionToken, an attacker can identify valid user accounts, potentially leading to unauthorized access and data breaches.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability (CVE-2020-5251) in Bitnami Parse Server arises from a lack of input validation in the NoSQL query. By crafting a malicious regex pattern and injecting it into the sessionToken parameter, an attacker can bypass the intended access controls and retrieve all user objects. This can have serious consequences, including unauthorized access to sensitive user data, privilege escalation, and potential compromise of the entire application. The vulnerability has a CVSSv3 score of 5.3 (Medium severity).

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

4.1.0

This is the first release that contains the fix.

Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →

Workaround

If upgrading to the latest version is not immediately feasible, a temporary workaround is to disable the use of regex in the NoSQL queries. This can be achieved by modifying the code to use strict equality checks instead of regex matching for sessionToken validation. However, this workaround may impact certain functionality that relies on regex matching, so it should be considered a temporary solution until the upgrade can be performed.

Conclusion

The vulnerability in Bitnami Parse Server (CVE-2020-5251) allows an attacker to fetch all user objects by exploiting a regex injection in the NoSQL query. Upgrading to version 4.1.0 or later is recommended to fix this vulnerability. Developers should also ensure proper input validation and sanitization to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future. For further assistance and support in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for parse →

Share this vulnerability

FAQ

Bitnami Parse Server is an open-source backend-as-a-service platform that simplifies the development of scalable and secure applications. It provides features like user authentication, data storage, and push notifications.

The vulnerability allows an attacker to fetch all user objects by exploiting a regex injection in the NoSQL query. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive user data and potential compromise of the entire application.

To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to upgrade to version 4.1.0 or later of Bitnami Parse Server. Additionally, ensure proper input validation and sanitization of user input before using it in NoSQL queries.

A temporary workaround is to disable the use of regex in the NoSQL queries by modifying the code to use strict equality checks instead. However, this may impact certain functionality that relies on regex matching.

Yes, the vulnerability has a CVSSv3 score of 5.3, indicating a medium severity.

Related vulnerabilities

Recent vulnerabilities recorded for parse.

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

4.1.0

This is the first release that contains the fix.

Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →

Subscribe to Vulert on Telegram
Daily digest of new CVEs, critical and high severity, affected packages and fixes — plus a weekly roundup.
Join the channel →
Help improve this record
Report an issue or send feedback