CVE-2026-19287 Overview
CVE-2026-19287 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] affecting abrinsmead mindpilot-mcp version 0.5.0. The flaw resides in the HistoryService component, where the ID argument is not properly sanitized before being used to construct file system paths. An attacker with local access and low privileges can manipulate the ID parameter to traverse directories and access files outside the intended scope. The project maintainer was notified through a public issue report but has not responded at the time of publication.
Critical Impact
Local attackers can read files outside the intended directory scope by supplying crafted ID values to the HistoryService component, potentially exposing sensitive application or user data.
Affected Products
- abrinsmead mindpilot-mcp 0.5.0
- Component: HistoryService
- Deployment: local Model Context Protocol (MCP) server installations
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-08 - CVE-2026-19287 published to NVD
- 2026-08-12 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-19287
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability exists in the HistoryService component of mindpilot-mcp0.5.0. The service accepts an ID argument that is used to locate stored history records on disk. Because the input is not validated or normalized, an attacker can supply directory traversal sequences such as ../ within the ID value. The resulting path resolves outside the intended history storage directory. This allows unauthorized access to arbitrary files readable by the process. The attack requires local access to the host running the MCP server and low-level privileges to interact with the service.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory [CWE-22]. The HistoryService concatenates the user-controlled ID value with a base directory path without canonicalizing the result or rejecting traversal sequences. Standard defenses such as path normalization, allow-list validation, or resolution checks against the base directory are absent.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access to the system hosting mindpilot-mcp. An authenticated local user issues a request to HistoryService with an ID argument containing traversal sequences. The service resolves the crafted path and returns content from an unintended file. The impact is bounded by the process user's file system permissions. Refer to the GitHub PoC Repository and GitHub Issue #24 for reproduction details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-19287
Indicators of Compromise
- Requests to HistoryService containing ../, ..\\, URL-encoded (%2e%2e%2f), or double-encoded traversal sequences in the ID argument.
- Access log entries showing HistoryService reading files outside the configured history storage directory.
- Unexpected file read events performed by the mindpilot-mcp process against sensitive paths such as /etc/passwd, SSH keys, or user configuration files.
Detection Strategies
- Instrument the HistoryService code path to log the resolved canonical path for every ID argument and alert when the resolved path escapes the configured base directory.
- Deploy file integrity and access monitoring on hosts running mindpilot-mcp to flag reads by the service process against files outside its working directory.
- Correlate MCP process telemetry with local user activity to identify low-privileged accounts issuing crafted history queries.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable audit logging on the operating system for file access by the mindpilot-mcp process user.
- Track EPSS scoring changes and the VulDB entry for CVE-2026-19287 for updated exploit intelligence.
- Watch the upstream repository and Issue #24 for a maintainer response and forthcoming patch.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-19287
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict local access to systems running mindpilot-mcp0.5.0 to trusted users only.
- Run the mindpilot-mcp process under a dedicated, least-privileged account with no access to sensitive files outside its history directory.
- Consider disabling or isolating the HistoryService component until a fix is published.
Patch Information
No official patch is available at the time of publication. The project was notified through GitHub Issue #24 but has not responded. Monitor the upstream repository for a fixed release and upgrade once available.
Workarounds
- Apply operating system access controls (e.g., AppArmor, SELinux, or filesystem ACLs) to constrain the process to its history directory.
- Wrap or fork HistoryService to canonicalize the resolved path and reject any ID value whose canonical path is not a child of the history base directory.
- Deploy the MCP server inside a container or sandbox with a read-only file system and minimal mounted paths to limit information disclosure.
# Example: constrain the service user's read scope with a systemd unit override
# /etc/systemd/system/mindpilot-mcp.service.d/hardening.conf
[Service]
User=mindpilot
ProtectSystem=strict
ProtectHome=true
ReadWritePaths=/var/lib/mindpilot/history
NoNewPrivileges=true
PrivateTmp=true
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
