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MCP Watch has a Critical Command Injection in cloneRepo allows Remote Code Execution (RCE) via malicious URL

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published Dec 1, 2025 in kapilduraphe/mcp-watch • Updated Dec 2, 2025

Package

npm mcp-watch (npm)

Affected versions

<= 0.1.2

Patched versions

None

Description

Summary

The MCPScanner class contains a critical Command Injection vulnerability in the cloneRepo method. The application passes the user-supplied githubUrl argument directly to a system shell via execSync without sanitization. This allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the host machine by appending shell metacharacters to the URL.

Details

The vulnerability exists in the src/scanner/MCPScanner.ts file within the cloneRepo method.

https://github.com/kapilduraphe/mcp-watch/blob/0fca7228bd313ae5aa938d61311377e88ce6e682/src/scanner/McpScanner.ts#L181

The code uses child_process.execSync to execute a git clone command:

Because execSync spawns a shell (defaulting to /bin/sh on Unix or cmd.exe on Windows), any shell metacharacters present in the url argument will be interpreted by the shell. The application does not validate that the url is a valid Git URL, nor does it sanitize input for shell metacharacters.

PoC

Install the package or clone the repository.

Run the scanner using the CLI (or invoke scanRepository programmatically).

Provide a malicious URL containing a command separator (e.g., ;, &, or |) and a system command.
payload : npm run scan:github "https://github.com/kapilduraphe/mcp-watch & calc.exe"

image

Impact

Severity: Critical

CVSS Score: 9.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
Description: This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the machine running the scanner.

If run by a developer locally, it compromises their workstation.

If deployed as a hosted scanning service, it grants the attacker full control over the server (RCE), leading to potential data exfiltration, service disruption, or further lateral movement within the infrastructure.

Context Dependent Risk:

Local CLI : If you run this tool locally on your own machine, you are "hacking yourself." The risk is limited unless you copy-paste a malicious URL sent by someone else (e.g., "Hey, check this repo scan: npm run scan "https://git./..; rm -rf /").

Web Service / CI Pipeline (Critical Risk): If this scanner is deployed as a web service (e.g., "Paste your repo URL to scan"), an attacker can take full control of the server immediately.

References

@kapilduraphe kapilduraphe published to kapilduraphe/mcp-watch Dec 1, 2025
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Dec 1, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Dec 2, 2025
Reviewed Dec 2, 2025
Last updated Dec 2, 2025

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(47th percentile)

Weaknesses

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2025-66401

GHSA ID

GHSA-27m7-ffhq-jqrm

Credits

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