Path Traversal in Bazylhorsey Obsidian-MCP-Server

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a path traversal issue in the bazylhorsey obsidian-mcp-server 1.0.0. It affects the readCanvas and writeCanvas functions in src/services/CanvasService.ts. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate file paths to access or modify files outside the intended vault directory by using relative paths without proper validation.

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Detection Guidance

To detect this path traversal vulnerability, inspect the obsidian-mcp-server logs for unusual file access patterns outside the intended vault directory. Check for requests containing sequences like '../' or absolute paths in canvas or template operations. Review the CanvasService.ts and TemplateService.ts files for direct use of user-controlled paths in path.join(vaultPath, userPath) without validation.

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Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to read sensitive files or write malicious files on the server. Since the attack requires local access, it primarily affects users running the server on their local machines. Unauthorized file access could lead to data leaks or system compromise.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could potentially impact compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by enabling unauthorized access to sensitive files outside intended directories. Path traversal may allow attackers to read or modify files containing personal data or protected health information, violating data integrity and confidentiality requirements.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update to a patched version if available. If not, restrict local access to the server and disable canvas/template services until a fix is applied. Implement strict path validation to ensure all user-controlled paths remain within the vault directory and reject traversal sequences or absolute paths.

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