High, CVSS 7.5npmAmendedPublished
@sylphx/pdf-reader-mcp: HTTP transport accepts unauthenticated requests despite a configured MCP_API_KEY
CVE-2026-62264 · GHSA-q344-5v34-gm84
- Affected
- npm @sylphx/pdf-reader-mcp >= 2.2.0, < 3.0.1
- Fixed in
- 3.0.1· Vendor fix available
- Issue
- Impact When `@sylphx/pdf-reader-mcp` is run as an HTTP server (`MCP_TRANSPORT=http`), it reads the `MCP_API_KEY` environment variable and logs `API key authentication enabled (X-API-Key header)` at startup, but it never validated the `X-API-Key` header on incoming requests. The key was read into a variable and never enforced on the request path. As a result, the `/mcp` endpoint accepted unauthenticated requests. Combined with the default bind address of `0.0.0.0` (all interfaces), any client able to reach the port could invoke every PDF tool and read the contents of any PDF the server process could open anywhere on the host. URL-based sources also enable limited SSRF (private/loopback addresses are blocked by default unless `--allow-private-ips` is set). The misleading startup log made the exposure silent: an operator who set `MCP_API_KEY` reasonably believed the server was protected when it was not. This affects only the opt-in HTTP transport; the default `stdio` transport…
Recommended action: Upgrade to 3.0.1 or later, then redeploy and verify.A vendor fix does not resolve your finding until you verify it in your own systems.