# CVE-2025-52573: Command Injection in MCP Server ios-simulator-mcp

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands on the host by injecting shell metacharacters into MCP tool arguments via prompt injection.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6f6r-m9pv-67jw

## What is CVE-2025-52573?

CVE-2025-52573 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in joshuayoes ios-simulator-mcp, published on 26 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

iOS Simulator MCP Server (ios-simulator-mcp) is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for interacting with iOS simulators. Versions prior to 1.3.3 are written in a way that is vulnerable to command injection vulnerability attacks as part of some of its MCP Server tool definition and implementation. The MCP Server exposes the tool `ui_tap` which relies on Node.js child process API `exec` which is an unsafe and vulnerable API if concatenated with untrusted user input. LLM exposed user input for `duration`, `udid`, and `x` and `y` args can be replaced with shell meta-characters like `;` or `&&` or others to change the behavior from running the expected command `idb` to another command. When LLMs are tricked through prompt injection (and other techniques and attack vectors) to call the tool with input that uses special shell characters such as `; rm -rf /tmp;#` and other payload variations, the full command-line text will be interepted by the shell and result in other commands except of `ps` executing on the host running the MCP Server. Version 1.3.3 contains a patch for the issue.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-52573?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including ios-simulator-mcp.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ios-simulator-mcp` | npm | All versions | 1.3.3 |
| `ios-simulator-mcp` | npm | All versions | 1.3.3 |

## How do I fix CVE-2025-52573?

Upgrade ios-simulator-mcp to 1.3.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-52573 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-52573 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-52573 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-52573 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in joshuayoes ios-simulator-mcp, published on 26 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-52573 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- ios-simulator-mcp (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 1.3.3
- ios-simulator-mcp (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 1.3.3

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52573/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52573/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-52573
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-52573
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-52573

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52573/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.