parse-server's file creation and deletion bypasses `readOnlyMasterKey` write restriction

Description

The readOnlyMasterKey can be used to create and delete files via the Files API (POST /files/:filename, DELETE /files/:filename). This bypasses the read-only restriction which violates the access scope of the readOnlyMasterKey.

Any Parse Server deployment that uses readOnlyMasterKey and exposes the Files API is affected.

Recommendation

Update the parse-server package to the latest compatible version. Followings are version details:

• Affected version(s): **< 8.6.5

  >= 9.0.0, < 9.5.0-alpha.3**

• Patched version(s): **8.6.5

  9.5.0-alpha.3**

References

• GHSA-xfh7-phr7-gr2x
• CVE-2026-30228
• CWE-863
• CAPEC-310
• OWASP 2021-A1
• OWASP 2021-A6

Related Issues

• Parse Server's Cloud Hooks and Cloud Jobs bypass `readOnlyMasterKey` write restriction - CVE-2026-29182
• parse-server's endpoint `/loginAs` allows `readOnlyMasterKey` to gain full read and write access as any user - CVE-2026-30229
• Parse Server: File metadata endpoint bypasses `beforeFind` / `afterFind` trigger authorization - CVE-2026-30850
• Parse Server session creation endpoint allows overwriting server-generated session fields - CVE-2026-32742

Tags:

npm

parse-server