GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ

SearXNG Basic Authentication Credentials Exposed Through MCP Logs and JSON-RPC Error Responses

This is a sensitive credential disclosure vulnerability.

The following parties may obtain the credentials:

1. A connected MCP client receiving logging notifications.
2. A client capable of invoking a tool and receiving JSON-RPC errors.
3. A user or process with access to captured stderr output.
4. A centralized logging or monitoring system collecting application logs.
5. Other users with access to shared log files or container logs.

The exposed credentials may allow an attacker to authenticate directly to the configured SearXNG instance.

Depending on the SearXNG deployment and the permissions associated with the account, this may allow:

1. Unauthorized use of a private SearXNG service.
2. Access to functionality restricted through Basic Authentication.
3. Consumption of private server resources.
4. Exposure of information available only to authenticated users.
5. Further account compromise where the credentials have been reused.

The default STDIO transport limits the exposure to the connected parent MCP client and local logging environment. However, MCP clients should not receive upstream service credentials, and the project security documentation explicitly treats credentials embedded in SEARXNG_URL as secrets that must be redacted.

GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low 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 (1.12.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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1. What is GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ? GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ is a medium-severity security vulnerability in mcp-searxng (npm), affecting versions < 1.12.0. It is fixed in 1.12.0.
2. How severe is GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ? GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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.
3. Which versions of mcp-searxng are affected by GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ? mcp-searxng (npm) versions < 1.12.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ? Yes. GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ is fixed in 1.12.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ 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
6. What actually determines whether GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ 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.
7. How do I fix GHSA-HJWH-XVFW-QRWJ? Upgrade mcp-searxng to 1.12.0 or later.

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