CVE-2026-75011: NetForensicMCP Command Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2026-75011 Overview

CVE-2026-75011 is a command injection vulnerability in kylecui NetForensicMCP version 2.1.0. The flaw resides in the execAsync function within index.js. Attackers can manipulate the interface/protocol argument to inject arbitrary operating system commands. The attack can be launched remotely and requires low-privilege authentication. A public exploit has been disclosed, and the maintainer has not responded to the initial issue report. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low privileges can execute arbitrary operating system commands on hosts running NetForensicMCP 2.1.0 by passing crafted values through the interface or protocol parameters.

Affected Products

kylecui NetForensicMCP 2.1.0
Any deployment exposing the execAsync code path in index.js
Downstream tools or MCP integrations embedding NetForensicMCP 2.1.0

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-17 - CVE-2026-75011 published to NVD
2026-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-75011

Vulnerability Analysis

NetForensicMCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes network forensic operations to AI agents and clients. Version 2.1.0 uses the execAsync helper in index.js to invoke underlying operating system utilities. The interface and protocol arguments feed directly into a shell command string without sanitization. An authenticated remote user can append shell metacharacters, such as ;, &&, or backticks, to break out of the intended command and execute arbitrary code in the process context of the MCP server. A public proof of concept exists, and the maintainer has not acknowledged the issue tracker report referenced in the advisory.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements passed to a downstream shell. The execAsync invocation concatenates untrusted string arguments into a command line rather than passing them as a discrete argument array. Because Node.js child_process.exec and equivalent wrappers spawn a shell, any metacharacter in the interface or protocol parameter is interpreted by the shell instead of being treated as literal input.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network reachability to the NetForensicMCP endpoint and low-level authenticated access to the MCP tool that ultimately calls execAsync. The attacker supplies a crafted interface or protocol value containing shell metacharacters. The injected payload executes with the privileges of the NetForensicMCP process, allowing command execution, data exfiltration, or lateral movement from the forensic host. See the GitHub Issue Tracker #1 and the VulDB CVE-2026-75011 record for technical context.

No verified exploit code is reproduced here. Refer to the VulDB Vulnerability #391265 entry for the disclosed proof of concept.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-75011

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes of the Node.js runtime hosting index.js, such as /bin/sh, bash, cmd.exe, or powershell.exe.
Requests to NetForensicMCP tools where interface or protocol arguments contain shell metacharacters like ;, |, &, `, $(), or newline characters.
Outbound network connections from the forensic host to unfamiliar destinations shortly after MCP tool invocation.

Detection Strategies

Instrument the NetForensicMCP process to log every invocation of execAsync along with the raw interface and protocol arguments.
Alert on process lineage where the Node.js process spawns a shell interpreter followed by common reconnaissance binaries such as whoami, id, curl, or wget.
Deploy endpoint detection rules that flag command injection patterns in application logs and correlate them with process telemetry.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward host process, command-line, and network telemetry from NetForensicMCP hosts to a central analytics platform for behavioral analysis.
Track EPSS movement for CVE-2026-75011 (currently 1.088%, 62nd percentile as of 2026-08-23) to prioritize response as exploitation likelihood evolves.
Monitor the upstream GitHub repository for a patched release or maintainer response.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-75011

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to NetForensicMCP 2.1.0 to trusted management hosts only.
Enforce least privilege on the account running the MCP server so command execution cannot escalate.
Audit historical logs for suspicious interface and protocol values that contain shell metacharacters.
Disable or uninstall NetForensicMCP 2.1.0 in production until a fixed release is published.

Patch Information

No vendor patch is available at the time of writing. The maintainer has not responded to the GitHub Issue Tracker #1 report referenced by the advisory. Track the NetForensicMCP repository for a fixed release and validate any downstream forks for the same defect.

Workarounds

Wrap or fork index.js locally to replace execAsync calls with argument-array based execFile invocations that never spawn a shell.
Add an allowlist filter that rejects any interface or protocol value containing characters outside [A-Za-z0-9_.:-].
Run the NetForensicMCP process inside a restricted container or sandbox that limits filesystem, network, and process capabilities.
Place the service behind an authenticating reverse proxy and require mutual TLS from approved clients.

bash

# Configuration example: block shell metacharacters at the proxy layer
# nginx snippet rejecting requests with metacharacters in query args
if ($args ~* "[;&|`$()<>\\]") {
    return 400;
}