# CVE-2026-54688: mcp-searxng: SSRF in web_url_read: the internal-address guard is disabled by default (MCP_HTTP_HARDEN off)

> An attacker can force the server to fetch internal resources by supplying a malicious URL, exposing sensitive data to the AI model context.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q87f-qc2r-2gw4

## What is CVE-2026-54688?

CVE-2026-54688 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery vulnerability in ihor-sokoliuk mcp-searxng, published on 15 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

mcp-searxng is a Model Context Protocol server that gives AI assistants web search and URL-reading capabilities through SearXNG. Prior to 1.2.0, web_url_read passes a caller-supplied URL to the server-side fetch path while assertUrlAllowed() in src/url-reader.ts runs only when MCP_HTTP_HARDEN is enabled, even though MCP_HTTP_HARDEN is disabled by default in src/http-security.ts. In the default configuration, an attacker who influences the URL selected by a user or AI agent can make the server fetch loopback, private-network, or cloud metadata endpoint resources and return their contents into the model context. file:// URLs remain rejected, and the separate DNS-resolution and redirect-validation bypasses are outside this record. This issue is fixed in version 1.2.0.

Weakness: CWE-918 (Server-Side Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-54688?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `mcp-searxng` | npm | All versions | 1.2.1 |
| `mcp-searxng` | npm | All versions | 1.2.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-54688?

Upgrade mcp-searxng to 1.2.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-54688 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-54688 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-54688 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-54688 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery vulnerability in ihor-sokoliuk mcp-searxng, published on 15 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-54688 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- mcp-searxng (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 1.2.1
- mcp-searxng (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 1.2.1

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-2026-54688/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54688/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-54688
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54688
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-54688

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54688/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.