Summary
grok-faf-mcp has an arbitrary local file read via unconfined path argument in FAF tools
Several grok-faf-mcp MCP tools accept a caller-controlled path argument and resolve it (~ expansion + path.resolve()) straight into a filesystem read without confining it to a trusted project directory. An absolute path or ../ traversal is resolved and used as-is, so the server process can be made to read files outside the intended .faf project context. The only remaining limit is OS file permissions.
Affected tools
refresh_faf, faf_score, faf_get_orchestration_policy, refresh_blend (and the shared getProjectPath() chokepoint feeding the .faf tools), plus the general-purpose faf_read / faf_write file tools (denylist-only; an absolute path still reached home-directory secrets, and faf_write could write outside the project). refresh_faf echoes the file contents verbatim back to the caller as "fresh DNA"; faf_get_orchestration_policy reflects values parsed out of the attacker-chosen file and echoes the resolved absolute path, confirming the read.
Workarounds
If you cannot upgrade immediately, run the server only against trusted local projects, and set FAF_ALLOWED_ROOTS (patched versions) to a single project directory for a hard directory boundary.
Credits
Discovered and responsibly reported via coordinated disclosure by Zhihao Zhang (Worcester Polytechnic Institute).
Impact
An MCP client, or an LLM prompt-injected via attacker-controlled content (a web page, README, ticket, or .faf) into issuing a tool call, can read any file the server process can read: SSH keys (~/.ssh/id_rsa), cloud credentials (~/.aws/credentials), .env files, source, /etc/passwd. This is a sensitive-information-disclosure (CWE-200) primitive that far exceeds the declared .faf project-context scope. The server runs over stdio, so the read is reached by a crafted tool call (e.g. a prompt-injected agent processing attacker-controlled content).
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.5.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Fixed in 1.5.3 by confining every caller-supplied path before any filesystem access (safe-path.ts):
- Reads are restricted to
.faf/.fafmcontext files, so non-context files (secrets) are refused regardless of directory. - General file ops (
faf_read/faf_write) are confined to the project root (cwd + system temp; override withFAF_ALLOWED_ROOTS). - Paths are canonicalized through symlinks (closing the symlink bypass); absolute paths and
../escapes are rejected.
Upgrade: npm install -g [email protected] (or bunx grok-faf-mcp).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332? GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in grok-faf-mcp (npm), affecting versions <= 1.5.2. It is fixed in 1.5.3. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332? GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of grok-faf-mcp are affected by GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332? grok-faf-mcp (npm) versions <= 1.5.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332? Yes. GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 is fixed in 1.5.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 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 GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332 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 GHSA-CC2G-GQ8C-R332? Upgrade
grok-faf-mcpto 1.5.3 or later.