wireshark-mcp vulnerable to arbitrary file write via export_objects when WIRESHARK_MCP_ALLOWED_DIRS is not configured

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

6.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-43901: 0.34% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 28.07 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Description Impact wireshark-mcp exposes a wiresharkexportobjects MCP tool that accepts an attacker-controlled destdir parameter and passes it to tshark's --export-objects flag with no mandatory path restriction. The path sandbox (alloweddirs) is None by default and only activates when the environment variable WIRESHARKMCPALLOWEDDIRS is explicitly set. In a default installation, any directory on the filesystem can be used as the export destination. Affected code (src/wiresharkmcp/tshark/client.py:531-543): Attack Scenario An attacker embeds a crafted HTTP response in a pcap file (e.g. Content-Disposition: filename=authorizedkeys). Via prompt injection in the pcap payload, an AI model using this MCP server is manipulated into calling wiresharkexportobjects with: tshark then extracts and writes the HTTP object to that path, granting the attacker SSH access. The same technique can target: - /etc/cron.d/ - Writable web roots - Other sensitive filesystem locations Additional Affected…

Published by the source

5 May 2026, 20:15 UTC

Last modified by the source

13 Jul 2026, 16:43 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:41 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-43901

Advisory: wireshark-mcp vulnerable to arbitrary file write via export_objects when WIRESHARK_MCP_ALLOWED_DIRS is not configured
IDs: CVE-2026-43901, GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-43901 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:41 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.8)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor response not established. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI wireshark-mcp: affected <= 1.1.5

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show wireshark-mcp`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.

## Supported action
No complete vendor fix is recorded. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check this record again before closing anything.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on wireshark-mcp.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg (OSV record GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg lists affected ranges: PyPI wireshark-mcp >=0 <=1.1.5)
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-3r68-x3xc-rxpg lists affected ranges: PyPI wireshark-mcp >=0 <=1.1.5)

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