Arbitrary JSON file write via crafted topic
Published Apr 28, 2026 · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Path traversal in elie mcp-project 0.1.0 allows local users to write JSON files outside the papers directory through a crafted topic. The search_papers function lowercases topic and replaces spaces, then passes the unsanitized value to os.path.join before creating directories and writing papers_info.json. Exploitation requires access to invoke the MCP tool, a successful arXiv request, and write permission at the escaped destination; the result is file creation or overwrite.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in elie mcp-project 0.1.0 allows local users to write JSON files outside the papers directory through a crafted topic. The search_papers function lowercases topic and replaces spaces, then passes the unsanitized value to os.path.join before creating directories and writing papers_info.json. Exploitation requires access to invoke the MCP tool, a successful arXiv request, and write permission at the escaped destination; the result is file creation or overwrite.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-7318
- Published
- Apr 28, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 28, 2026
- Vendor
- elie
- Product
- mcp-project
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1565.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 28, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0.1.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- search_papers MCP request proof of conceptproof of concept · unverified
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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