CVE-2021-47986: Parse Server supply chain compromise via unreviewed version tags

CVE-2021-47986 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-06-25

Parse Server is a Node.js backend-as-a-service platform used by developers to build and run applications. Malicious version tags were pushed to the Parse Server repository pointing to unreviewed code in a contributor's personal fork, potentially containing compromised or buggy functionality. Applications depending on these specific version tags may have unknowingly executed unvetted code, creating a risk of service disruption, data breach, or deployment of broken features.

Technologies: parse-server (npm). Vendors: npm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2021-47986 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2021-47986 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2021-47986?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 25 June 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
parse-server (npm) >= 4.0.0, < 4.5.2, SEMVER:introduced=4.0.0,fixed=4.5.2.
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-47986?
Yes. parse-server (npm): upgrade to 4.5.2 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2021-47986 attacked?
It is attacked over the network.
Am I affected by CVE-2021-47986?
Check whether you run parse-server (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • parse-server (npm): upgrade to 4.5.2 or later
    npm install parse-server@4.5.2

Technical details

This vulnerability involves a repository integrity attack where 34 version tags (ranging from 4.0.0-beta1 through 4.9.3) were maliciously created to reference a personal fork of a Parse Server contributor who had write access to the main repository. The unreviewed code at these tags has not been vetted by the Parse Platform maintainers. While no official npm releases were published with these tags, developers could reference them directly via git URLs (e.g., "parse-server": "git@github.com:parse-community/parse-server.git#4.9.3"), causing any code at those tags to be executed in their environments. Additionally, the Bitnami Docker image platform picked up the corrupted tag 4.9.3 and published it in their Parse Server image. The root cause was insufficient access controls or monitoring on the repository. There is no indication of malicious code injection, but the possibility of security vulnerabilities and broken functionality cannot be ruled out. The fix is to upgrade to version 4.10.0 or later, or downgrade to the unaffected version 4.5.2.

Affected products

  • Parse Community Parse Server 4.0.0-beta1 through 4.9.3 (34 affected versions); fixed in 4.10.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2021-47986
  • GHSA-593v-wcqx-hq2w

Timeline

  • 2021-09-03: disclosed: Advisory published by Parse Community
  • 2021-07-21: other: Security incident first discovered by Parse Platform
  • 2021-09-07: other: Advisory published on public sources (GHSA, OSV)
  • 2021-09-03: patched: Fix available in version 4.10.0; tags deleted from repository

References

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