# CVE-2026-57441: MCPVault: PathFilter restricted-directory deny-list bypass via case and trailing dot/space equivalence

> An attacker can bypass restricted directory filters in MCPVault to read or modify sensitive files on case-insensitive or Windows filesystems.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **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-j99q-93c9-h869

## What is CVE-2026-57441?

CVE-2026-57441 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in bitbonsai mcpvault, published on 15 Sep 2026. 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

MCPVault is a lightweight Model Context Protocol server for safe access to files in an Obsidian vault. Prior to 0.11.4, PathFilter in src/pathfilter.ts compiles restricted-directory patterns case-sensitively and compares paths without canonicalizing filesystem-equivalent segment names. On case-insensitive macOS and Windows filesystems, case variants of .git, .obsidian, or node_modules pass both isAllowed() and isAllowedForListing() even though the operating system opens the restricted directory, and Windows trailing dots or spaces provide the same bypass. An attacker who influences a path selected by an AI agent can use the bypass in read, write, move, search, or listing operations to expose or modify sensitive repository and Obsidian metadata. Vault-root .. containment is not affected. This issue is fixed in version 0.11.4.

Weakness: CWE-41 (Improper Resolution of Path Equivalence), CWE-178 (Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-57441?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including @bitbonsai/mcpvault.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `@bitbonsai/mcpvault` | npm | All versions | 0.11.4 |
| `@bitbonsai/mcpvault` | npm | All versions | 0.11.4 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-57441?

Upgrade @bitbonsai/mcpvault to 0.11.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-57441 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-57441 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-57441 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-57441 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in bitbonsai mcpvault, published on 15 Sep 2026. 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-2026-57441 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- @bitbonsai/mcpvault (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 0.11.4
- @bitbonsai/mcpvault (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 0.11.4

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-2026-57441/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-57441/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-57441
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-57441
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-57441

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-57441/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.