Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-22474

Auth Bypass in Parseplatform Parse-Server ≤ 5.4.1

Published
03 February 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.7
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0066 48th percentile
Risk Priority 57 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-22474 is a high-severity Authentication Bypass by Spoofing (CWE-290) vulnerability in Parseplatform Parse-Server. Its CVSS base score is 8.7 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Adversary-in-the-Middle (T1557); ranked at the 48th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js. Parse Server uses the request header `x-forwarded-for` to determine the client IP address. If Parse Server doesn't run behind a proxy server,…

more

then a client can set this header and Parse Server will trust the value of the header. The incorrect client IP address will be used by various features in Parse Server. This allows to circumvent the security mechanism of the Parse Server option `masterKeyIps` by setting an allowed IP address as the `x-forwarded-for` header value. This issue has been patched in version 5.4.1. The mechanism to determine the client IP address has been rewritten. The correct IP address determination now requires to set the Parse Server option `trustProxy`.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1557 Adversary-in-the-Middle Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to position themselves between two or more networked devices using an adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) technique to support follow-on behaviors such as [Network Sniffing](https://attack.
T1557.001 Name Resolution Poisoning and SMB Relay Credential Access
By responding to LLMNR/NBT-NS/mDNS network traffic, adversaries may spoof an authoritative source for name resolution to force communication with an adversary controlled system.
T1036 Masquerading Stealth
Adversaries may attempt to manipulate features of their artifacts to make them appear legitimate or benign to users and/or security tools.
T1036.001 Invalid Code Signature Stealth
Adversaries may attempt to mimic features of valid code signatures to increase the chance of deceiving a user, analyst, or tool.
T1134 Access Token Manipulation Stealth
Adversaries may modify access tokens to operate under a different user or system security context to perform actions and bypass access controls.
T1134.001 Token Impersonation/Theft Stealth
Adversaries may duplicate then impersonate another user's existing token to escalate privileges and bypass access controls.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-34373Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-27804Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-33409Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-30949Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-30967Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-33042Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-30863Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-35200Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-33163Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server
CVE-2026-32098Same product: Parseplatform Parse-Server

Affected Assets

parseplatform
parse-server
≤ 5.4.1

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.4.3
  • V10.4.16
  • V10.5.1
  • V11.4.3

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-290

Reveals spoofed logon attempts through unexpected previous logon timestamps upon legitimate login.

addresses: CWE-290

Training specifically addresses recognizing spoofed communications and phishing that enable authentication bypass.

addresses: CWE-290

Requiring verifiable identity evidence at appropriate assurance levels makes it substantially harder for attackers to successfully spoof or impersonate users to obtain accounts.

addresses: CWE-290

Unique device authentication makes successful spoofing of device identity substantially more difficult to achieve.

addresses: CWE-290

Unique identification of non-organizational users reduces the feasibility of authentication bypass by spoofing.

addresses: CWE-290

Unique identification and authentication of services before communications makes spoofing of service identities substantially harder.

addresses: CWE-290

Isolated trusted path ensures the user interacts only with genuine system components, preventing spoofing of authentication interfaces or prompts.

addresses: CWE-290

Directly counters DNS response spoofing by requiring cryptographic origin authentication artifacts from the authoritative source.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-04 full match
prevents

Protecting, conveying, and verifying identity assertions specifically prevents the spoofing that enables authentication bypass.

PR.AA-03 mostly match
prevents

Requiring authentication of users/services/hardware directly counters spoofing-based bypass when strong methods are used.

PR.AA-02 partial match
prevents

Proofing and binding identities reduces spoofing opportunities during enrollment but does not address runtime authentication implementation flaws.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

degrades

Secure authentication control directly mitigates authentication bypass by spoofing.

degrades

Authentication information management directly addresses credential handling that prevents spoofing.

finds

Security testing can detect spoofing vulnerabilities but does not prevent them by itself.

prevents

Access control policy reduces spoofing opportunities but does not prescribe authentication mechanisms.

prevents

Identity management supports unique identities but does not guarantee resistance to spoofing.

prevents

Access rights assignment limits exposure but does not enforce authentication strength.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. prevents CWE-290
RHEL 7 (1 rule)
  • V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. prevents CWE-290
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230492 RHEL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. prevents CWE-290

References