# GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9: rmcp OAuth client fetches server-controlled resource_metadata URLs

> An attacker-controlled MCP server can force the rmcp OAuth client to fetch internal URLs via SSRF, potentially exposing sensitive internal data or metadata.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Oct 2026

## What is GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9?

GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9 is a server-side request forgery vulnerability in rmcp, published on 2 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

## Summary

The `rmcp` OAuth client accepts a server-controlled `resource_metadata=` URL from the `WWW-Authenticate` header and fetches it without same-origin or private-network validation.

An attacker-controlled MCP server can return a `401 WWW-Authenticate: Bearer resource_metadata="..."` header pointing at an internal URL, including localhost, RFC 1918 addresses, or cloud metadata endpoints. The client then performs an outbound GET to that URL from the victim application's network context.

## Affected version

- Repository: `modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk`
- Crate: `rmcp`
- Current `main` reviewed: `c330fede90e4729c234f8e87fdbc5ea27a1dd10c`
- Commit date: 2026-05-19
- Affected file: `crates/rmcp/src/transport/auth.rs`
- File blob: `3aa3e91310662c409af9dc38c9d584d6df217e9c`
- Severity framing: High/Medium SSRF, depending on the embedding application's network position and whether response parsing gives the attacker useful success/failure or chained fetch behavior.

## Source evidence

`extract_www_authenticate_params()` accepts an absolute URL from the server-controlled header:

```rust
let resource_key = "resource_metadata=";
while let Some(pos) = header_lowercase[search_offset..].find(resource_key) {
    let global_pos = search_offset + pos + resource_key.len();
    let value_slice = &header[global_pos..];
    if let Some((value, consumed)) = Self::parse_next_header_value(value_slice) {
        if let Ok(url) = Url::parse(&value) {
            params.resource_metadata_url = Some(url);
            break;
        }
        if let Ok(url) = base_url.join(&value) {
            params.resource_metadata_url = Some(url);
            break;
        }
```

There is no check that the parsed URL shares origin with the original MCP server, and no block for loopback, link-local, RFC 1918, or metadata hostnames.

`fetch_resource_metadata_from_url()` then performs the GET:

```rust
let response = match self
    .http_client
    .get(resource_metadata_url.clone())
    .header(HEADER_MCP_PROTOCOL_VERSION, "2024-11-05")
    .send()
    .await
```

Again, there is no same-origin, scheme, host, DNS, or IP-range validation before the request.

## Attack scenario

1. A Rust MCP client using `rmcp` connects to an attacker-controlled MCP server, or to a compromised MCP server.
2. The server responds to OAuth discovery with a `401` and a `WWW-Authenticate` header such as:

```text
WWW-Authenticate: Bearer resource_metadata="http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/"
```

3. The client parses the `resource_metadata` value as a URL.
4. The client sends a GET request to that URL from the victim application's network context.

This can be used to probe internal services. In environments where the target endpoint returns JSON matching the expected metadata shape, the flow can also chain into additional authorization-server metadata fetches.

## Impact

The direct impact is SSRF from any application embedding the rmcp OAuth client. Depending on where the client runs, this can reach:

- cloud metadata endpoints;
- localhost-only services;
- private VPC or container-network services;
- internal HTTP APIs not reachable from the attacker.

The attacker controls the URL through the MCP server response. The victim only needs to connect to the attacker's MCP server or a compromised server that can emit the crafted `WWW-Authenticate` header.

## Public duplicate check

On 2026-05-27:

- Visible repository advisories were:
  - `GHSA-9g45-5xwm-f3wc`: custom HTTP headers leak to cross-origin redirect targets.
  - `GHSA-89vp-x53w-74fx`: DNS rebinding in Streamable HTTP server transport.
- Public issue search for `WWW-Authenticate resource_metadata SSRF` returned no open or closed matches.
- Public issue search for `resource_metadata` returned one closed implementation issue, `#517`, about authorization discovery fallback behavior, not SSRF/resource validation.

This report is distinct from the redirect-header advisory and the DNS-rebinding advisory.

## Suggested fix

Before accepting or fetching a `resource_metadata` URL:

- require the URL to be same-origin with the original MCP server URL, unless the spec intentionally permits a narrow trusted exception;
- reject loopback, link-local, RFC 1918, unique-local IPv6, and known cloud metadata hostnames;
- reject non-HTTP(S) schemes;
- apply the same validation to redirect targets and any follow-on metadata URLs.

A minimal same-origin check would compare scheme, host, and effective port:

```rust
fn is_same_origin(base: &Url, candidate: &Url) -> bool {
    base.scheme() == candidate.scheme()
        && base.host() == candidate.host()
        && base.port_or_known_default() == candidate.port_or_known_default()
}
```

If cross-origin `resource_metadata` is required for compatibility, it should be explicitly opted into and protected by private-network blocking.

## Which versions are affected by GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including rmcp.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `rmcp` | crates.io | All versions | 2.0.0 |
| `rmcp` | crates.io | All versions | 2.0.0 |

## How do I fix GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9?

Upgrade rmcp to 2.0.0 or later.

## Is GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9 is a server-side request forgery vulnerability in rmcp, published on 2 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- rmcp (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 2.0.0
- rmcp (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 2.0.0

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/GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-c9xm-49cp-xcr9/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.