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DataStore Table UI resource does not validate postMessage origin (in) and posts to targetOrigin "*" (out)

Low
aborruso published GHSA-vqff-r82h-9crc Jul 9, 2026

Package

npm @aborruso/ckan-mcp-server (npm)

Affected versions

< 0.4.112

Patched versions

0.4.112

Description

Summary

The MCP Apps UI resource (an interactive DataStore table rendered in the host's webview/iframe) communicates with its parent via postMessage. Its inbound message listener performs no event.origin validation, and its outbound messages are sent with target origin '*'. Any window/frame able to reach the document can inject data into the table and interfere with the MCP UI handshake, and the UI's own JSON-RPC messages are broadcast without an origin restriction.

Affected code

src/resources/datastore-table-ui.ts (inline HTML):

window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {
  var msg = event.data;                    // no check of event.origin
  if (!msg || typeof msg !== 'object') return;
  if (msg.id !== undefined && _pending[msg.id]) { ... resolve/reject pending MCP request ... }
  ...
  if (data && (data.fields || data.records)) initTable(data);   // renders attacker-supplied data
});

// outbound:
window.parent.postMessage({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id: id, method: method, params: params || {} }, '*');
mcpNot: window.parent.postMessage({ jsonrpc:'2.0', method:method, params:params||{} }, '*');

There is no allowlist of accepted origins for inbound messages and no fixed target origin for outbound messages.

Impact

  • Content spoofing. A frame that can postMessage to the UI can supply
    arbitrary fields/records, causing the table to render fabricated rows and
    links (e.g. a phishing __link_url) that appear to come from the queried
    portal. (Values are HTML-escaped, so this is display spoofing, not script
    injection — no XSS.)
  • Handshake/UX interference. Because inbound messages matching a pending id
    resolve/reject the UI's MCP requests, an attacker frame can spoof responses to
    the ui/initialize handshake or otherwise disrupt the panel.
  • Outbound leakage. Posting to '*' means the UI's JSON-RPC messages are
    delivered to whatever the parent origin is; if the resource is ever embedded by
    a context other than the trusted host, those messages leak to it.

Exploitability depends on the host embedding model (in a correct MCP Apps host the
parent is the trusted host, which limits who can message the frame), so this is a
hardening / defense-in-depth issue rather than a directly remotely-triggerable
one — hence Low.

Proof of concept

  • poc/verify-no-origin-check.mjs — static confirmation that the listener has no
    origin check and outbound uses '*':

    [x] validates event.origin             : NO
    [x] outgoing postMessage targetOrigin  : '*' (any)
    RESULT: VULNERABLE
    
  • poc/parent-spoof-poc.html — a page that embeds the UI and injects fabricated
    rows cross-origin with no handshake; the UI renders them.

Remediation

  • Validate event.origin against the expected host origin on every inbound
    message; drop messages from other origins.
  • Send outbound postMessage with an explicit target origin (the host origin
    established at initialize time) instead of '*'.
  • Optionally, bind to a nonce/channel established during ui/initialize so only
    the negotiated host can drive the panel.

Severity

Low

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

CVE ID

CVE-2026-76894

Weaknesses

Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity

The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data. Learn more on MITRE.

Improper Verification of Source of a Communication Channel

The product establishes a communication channel to handle an incoming request that has been initiated by an actor, but it does not properly verify that the request is coming from the expected origin. Learn more on MITRE.

Credits