CVE-2025-53100: Codehooks.io MCP Server RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-53100 Overview

CVE-2025-53100 is a command injection vulnerability in RestDB's Codehooks.io Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server. Versions prior to 0.2.2 contain insecure tool definitions and implementations that pass attacker-influenced input into shell command execution. An adversary can trigger user-initiated remote command injection on a running MCP Server instance. The flaw is tracked under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. RestDB released a fix in version 0.2.2 of the codehooks-mcp-server package.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants attackers arbitrary OS command execution in the context of the MCP Server process, exposing host data, secrets, and downstream Codehooks resources.

Affected Products

RestDB Codehooks.io MCP Server (codehooks-mcp-server) versions prior to 0.2.2
Deployments integrating the vulnerable MCP Server with AI assistants and agentic clients
Codehooks.io environments exposing MCP tool endpoints to untrusted prompts

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-01 - CVE-2025-53100 published to NVD with GHSA-fhq6-jf5q-qxvq
2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-53100

Vulnerability Analysis

The Codehooks MCP Server exposes tools that an AI client can invoke through the Model Context Protocol. Several of these tool implementations build shell command strings by concatenating attacker-controlled arguments without sanitization or argument-array execution. When a connected LLM client forwards a crafted tool invocation, the server passes the unsanitized payload to a shell interpreter. The result is arbitrary OS command execution on the host running the MCP Server. Because MCP Servers commonly hold API tokens for the underlying Codehooks workspace, a successful injection can pivot from local command execution to control over remote Codehooks projects. The patches in commits 62f918a and 83db1d1 replace shell-based execution with safer parameterized invocation.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements in OS commands [CWE-78]. Tool handlers interpolated user-supplied strings directly into shell commands, allowing metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, and backticks to terminate the intended command and append attacker payloads.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a user to invoke a vulnerable MCP tool, often through an AI assistant relaying a malicious prompt or tool argument. The attack is network-reachable through the MCP transport and requires no authentication to the server itself once a client session is established. Indirect prompt injection from untrusted data sources can also coerce a connected LLM into issuing the malicious tool call.

No public proof-of-concept code has been verified. See the GitHub Security Advisory for technical details on the affected tool definitions.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53100

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the codehooks-mcp-server Node.js process, such as /bin/sh, bash, cmd.exe, or powershell.exe
Outbound connections from the MCP Server host to unfamiliar domains shortly after tool invocations
MCP tool arguments containing shell metacharacters like ;, |, `, $(, or newline sequences
Modifications to credential files, SSH keys, or environment variables on the MCP host without a corresponding administrative change

Detection Strategies

Inspect MCP request logs for tool calls whose string parameters include shell control characters or chained commands
Hunt for process trees where the MCP Server binary is the parent of an interactive shell or scripting interpreter
Compare the installed codehooks-mcp-server version against 0.2.2 across developer workstations and CI runners
Correlate Codehooks API audit events with MCP tool invocations to surface anomalous administrative actions

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable command-line and process-creation auditing on hosts that run MCP Servers
Forward MCP Server stdout, stderr, and request logs to a centralized log store for retention and search
Alert on new outbound network destinations originating from MCP Server processes
Track package inventory changes to detect downgrades or reintroduction of vulnerable versions

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53100

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade codehooks-mcp-server to version 0.2.2 or later on every host, container, and developer workstation
Rotate any Codehooks API tokens, project secrets, and host credentials that were accessible to the MCP Server process
Restrict MCP Server invocation to trusted local clients until patching is complete
Review MCP and Codehooks audit logs for evidence of tool calls containing shell metacharacters

Patch Information

RestDB resolved the vulnerability in version 0.2.2 of codehooks-mcp-server. The fixes are visible in commits 62f918a6 and 83db1d1b, which remove shell-based execution from the affected tool implementations. Refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-fhq6-jf5q-qxvq for the authoritative remediation guidance.

Workarounds

Stop and disable the MCP Server until the upgrade to 0.2.2 is applied if immediate patching is not feasible
Run the MCP Server under a dedicated low-privilege account with no shell access and restricted filesystem permissions
Place the MCP Server inside a network-isolated container with egress filtering to block unintended outbound traffic
Configure connected AI clients to disallow tool calls containing shell metacharacters in string arguments

bash

# Configuration example
npm install -g codehooks-mcp-server@0.2.2
npm ls -g codehooks-mcp-server