GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r
parse-server: Relation `$relatedTo` query bypasses `protectedFields` and owning-object ACL
Details
### Impact
A relation query using the `$relatedTo` operator could read the membership of a `Relation` field even when that field was hidden from the requesting client by `protectedFields`, and even when the object owning the relation was not readable by the client under its ACL or class-level permissions. The request requires only the public API credentials that Parse clients normally carry — no user session, master key, or Cloud Code is needed.
As a result, an unauthenticated client who knows or obtains the owning object's `objectId` could enumerate the objects linked through a protected relation, or combine the operator with an `objectId` constraint to use it as a membership oracle — confirming whether a specific object is linked to a private parent. This affects applications that rely on `protectedFields` or object ACLs to keep `Relation` membership confidential, such as private group memberships, block lists, or account-to-resource associations.
### Patches
The relation query path now authorizes `$relatedTo` against the owning object before reading the relation join table, using the caller's authentication context. The relation key is checked against the owning class's `protectedFields` (the query is rejected if the key is protected), and the owning object must be readable by the caller under its class-level permissions, ACL, and pointer permissions; otherwise the relation returns no results. Master and maintenance requests are unaffected. The check is applied consistently whether `$relatedTo` is used at the top level or nested within `$or`, `$and`, or `$nor`.
### Workarounds
There is no complete workaround without upgrading. As mitigation, applications can avoid exposing sensitive membership through `Relation` fields to untrusted clients, or enforce access on the queried class in a `beforeFind` trigger.
Are you affected?
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Affected packages
9.0.0 Fixed in: 9.9.1-alpha.6 npm install parse-server@9.9.1-alpha.6 References
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/security/advisories/GHSA-wmwx-jr2p-4j4r [WEB]
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53726 [ADVISORY]
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10493 [WEB]
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/pull/10494 [WEB]
- https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server [PACKAGE]