Executive brief
NetForensicMCP is a network forensics tool that analyzes packet capture files using Wireshark's tshark utility. A command injection vulnerability in the server allows attackers to execute arbitrary operating-system commands by manipulating tool arguments such as network interface and protocol parameters. The vulnerability is triggered when an attacker-controlled MCP client calls affected tools with crafted payloads, potentially giving an attacker full control over the host system.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a command injection flaw in the Node.js child_process.exec() usage within index.js. User-supplied arguments (interface, protocol, and pcapPath) are concatenated directly into shell command strings passed to execAsync() without sanitization or proper quoting. The exec() function spawns cmd.exe on Windows, which interprets shell metacharacters like "&" as command separators, allowing injection. An attacker can invoke affected tools (capture_packets, extract_stream_content, get_stream_info, extract_stream_chunks) with payloads like "eth0 & echo rce > file.txt & x" to break out of the intended tshark command. The root cause is the use of exec() instead of safer alternatives like execFile() or spawn() with argument arrays. No patch has been released; the project maintainer has not responded to the early disclosure.
Affected products
- kylecui NetForensicMCP 2.1.0
Timeline
- 2026-08-17: disclosed: Vulnerability published; exploit available
- 2026-08-17: other: CVE-2026-75011 assigned