# CVE-2025-66689: Path traversal in n/a

> Authenticated attackers can read arbitrary system files by bypassing path validation in Zen MCP Server.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 12 Jan 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-577g-w45q-4pwf

## What is CVE-2025-66689?

CVE-2025-66689 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 12 Jan 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A path traversal vulnerability exists in Zen MCP Server before 9.8.2 that allows authenticated attackers to read arbitrary files on the system. The vulnerability is caused by flawed logic in the is_dangerous_path() validation function that uses exact string matching against a blacklist of system directories. Attackers can bypass these restrictions by accessing subdirectories of blacklisted paths.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-66689?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Busymac Pal Mcp Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-66689?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-66689 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-66689 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-66689 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-66689 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-66689 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 12 Jan 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-66689 exists.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2025-66689/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-66689/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-66689
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-66689
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-66689

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-66689/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.