verygoodplugins whatsapp-mcp up to 0.2.0 whatsapp-bridge HTTP API /api/send media_path path traversal

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in verygoodplugins whatsapp-mcp up to 0.2.0 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file /api/send of the component whatsapp-bridge HTTP API. This manipulation of the argument media_path causes path traversal. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-46555. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. No exploit exists.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in verygoodplugins whatsapp-mcp up to 0.2.0 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown part of the file /api/send of the component whatsapp-bridge HTTP API. The manipulation of the argument media_path with an unknown input leads to a path traversal vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-22. The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

WhatsApp MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for WhatsApp, enabling Claude to read and send WhatsApp messages. Prior to version 0.2.1, the `whatsapp-bridge` HTTP API listens on `127.0.0.1:8080` without authentication and without Host header validation, and the `/api/send` endpoint accepts an absolute `media_path` parameter without confining it to a safe directory. Combined, these issues allow any local process running as the same user as the bridge to send WhatsApp messages from the paired account without authorization; the same caller to read arbitrary files readable by the user (e.g. SSH private keys, browser session data, source code, dotfiles) and exfiltrate them as WhatsApp document attachments; and/or a remote attacker to trigger the same operations via DNS rebinding from a webpage the user visits, since no Host header validation is performed. In MCP environments, "local caller" extends beyond processes the user explicitly launched — sibling MCP servers, IDE extensions, and tool-triggered flows running in the user's session can act as the effective caller. This issue is fixed in whatsapp-mcp v0.2.1 and corresponding Docker images / release artifacts. Users should upgrade immediately. The fix introduces bearer token authentication on the bridge HTTP API (configured via environment variable, required on all requests, validated with constant-time comparison); host header allow-list validation to prevent DNS rebinding; and confinement of `media_path` to a configured directory, with rejection of absolute paths outside the root and path traversal sequences. This is a breaking change for clients of the bridge API. For users who cannot immediately upgrade: Stop the bridge, or block loopback access to port 8080, when the bridge is not actively in use; avoid running the bridge alongside untrusted MCP servers, browser extensions, or other untrusted local processes; avoid browsing untrusted sites while the bridge is running (DNS rebinding mitigation); and/or run the bridge under a dedicated user account or in a sandbox/container with no access to sensitive files.

The advisory is shared at github.com. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-46555 since 05/14/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. It demands that the victim is doing some kind of user interaction. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1006 for this issue.

Upgrading to version 0.2.1 eliminates this vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at EUVD (EUVD-2026-46037). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Productinfo

Type

• Artificial Intelligence Software

Vendor

• verygoodplugins

Name

• whatsapp-mcp

Version

• 0.1
• 0.2.0

Website

• Product: https://github.com/verygoodplugins/whatsapp-mcp/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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