Command Injection in NellyW8 MCP4EDA

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a command injection flaw in NellyW8 MCP4EDA 1.0.0. It affects the run_openlane/view_waveform components where user-controlled inputs like design_name and vcd_file are directly used in shell commands via exec. Attackers can inject shell metacharacters or quotes to execute arbitrary commands on the host system.

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Detection Guidance

Check if the NellyW8 MCP4EDA 1.0.0 is installed by running commands like 'which run_openlane' or 'which view_waveform' in your terminal. Inspect the source code of these scripts for unsafe shell command execution patterns such as direct interpolation of user inputs into exec calls. Look for functions like run_openlane or view_waveform that accept design_name or vcd_file arguments and verify if they are passed directly to shell commands without proper sanitization.

Review system logs for unusual command executions originating from MCP4EDA processes. Check for any MCP clients that have access to these vulnerable functions. Monitor network traffic if the MCP server is exposed to untrusted networks, though local access is required for exploitation.

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Impact Analysis

An attacker with local access could execute arbitrary commands on your system, potentially leading to data theft, system compromise, or unauthorized actions. Since the vulnerable functions are exposed via MCP, any client with access to these functions could trigger the attack.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the host system through command injection in the run_openlane/view_waveform components. This could lead to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or system compromise, which may violate GDPR's integrity and confidentiality requirements or HIPAA's safeguards for protected health information if such data is processed by the affected EDA tools.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately stop using the NellyW8 MCP4EDA 1.0.0 or disable the vulnerable functions run_openlane and view_waveform. Update to a patched version if available or apply a temporary fix by modifying the source code to replace unsafe exec calls with safer alternatives like spawn or execFile. Validate and sanitize all inputs for design_name and vcd_file arguments to reject shell metacharacters or quotes.

Restrict access to the MCP server and its functions to trusted users only. Monitor for any signs of exploitation and audit system logs for suspicious activities. Consider isolating the EDA tools in a sandboxed environment to limit potential damage from command injection attempts.

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