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Flowise AI Platform: Remote Code Execution (RCE) — What’s Broken, How It’s Exploited, and How to Defend By CyberDudeBivash – Ruthless, Engineering-Grade Threat Intel

 


1) Executive Brief

Flowise, the popular open-source platform for building LLM agents, has faced a run of critical RCE-class vulnerabilities across 2024–2025. The newest wave includes pre-auth arbitrary file upload / file write leading to RCE, JS-injection-to-RCE, and an OS-command-execution path tied to “Custom MCPs” with minimal authentication (pre-3.0.1 often shipped with no auth enabled by default unless explicitly configured). Multiple issues carry CVSS ≈ 9.8. If your instance is exposed to the internet, treat as assume-breached until you validate configs, patch level, and logs. Pentest-Tools.comGitHubresearch.jfrog.comNVD

2) What’s actually vulnerable (attack primitives)

A) Arbitrary File Upload / Write → RCE

  • CVE-2025-26319 (≤ 2.2.6): pre-auth file upload via /api/v1/attachments; weaponize by planting web-reachable scripts/keys and pivoting to system execution. Pentest-Tools.comGitHub

  • GHSA-8vvx-qvq9-5948: direct file write via /api/v1/document-store/loader/process enabling RCE (PoC overwrites package.json to gain execution). (Advisory initially noted no patched version.) GitHub+1

B) JS-Injection → RCE

  • CVE-2025-55346 (JFrog): critical “unintended dynamic code execution” enabling remote code execution by network attackers. research.jfrog.com

C) OS Command Execution via Custom MCPs

  • CVE-2025-8943 (NVD): design permits spinning up local MCP servers (e.g., via npx). With minimal/absent RBAC and pre-3.0.1 default w/out auth, an unauthenticated attacker can run unsandboxed OS commands. NVD

Earlier Flowise history includes CVE-2024-31621 (RCE in ≤1.6.2) and other unauthenticated issues, underscoring a persistent exposure theme. CVE Details

3) Attacker playbook (how it’s abused in the wild)

  1. Recon/Targeting: Shodan/ZoomEye for public Flowise; look for default ports / banners.

  2. Initial Access:

    • Pre-auth file upload or file write to drop payloads, SSH keys, or overwrite Node project files for code execution. Pentest-Tools.comGitHub

    • JS-injection path to achieve runtime execution. research.jfrog.com

    • MCP command exec path if auth is off or weak. NVD

  3. Post-Exploitation: Harvest API credentials (OpenAI/LLM, vector DB keys), pivot to the host, establish persistence via systemd/PM2/npm scripts, and exfiltrate chat data/knowledge bases.

MITRE ATT&CK: T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing App), T1059 (Command/Scripting), T1105 (Ingress Tool Transfer), T1005 (Data from Local System), T1041 (Exfil over C2).

4) Blue-Team Playbook (do this now)

A) Exposure & Version Audit

  • Inventory all Flowise endpoints; block external access until validated.

  • Record Flowise version; if ≤2.2.6 or <3.0.1, you likely carry pre-auth and no-auth-by-default risks—prioritize. Pentest-Tools.comNVD

B) Log & IOC Hunt

  • Web/API logs for:

    • POST /api/v1/attachments (unexpected MIME/paths). Pentest-Tools.com

    • POST /api/v1/document-store/loader/process followed by odd file creations/package.json changes. GitHub

  • Host artifacts: new files under Flowise working dir, unauthorized npx/node invocations, PM2/systemd services created post-access.

  • Credential theft: enumerate environment variables/configs for leaked LLM/vectorDB/API keys.

C) Emergency Containment

  • Quarantine public instances behind VPN/ZTNA; rotate all API keys, tokens, and any secrets exposed to flows.

  • If compromise suspected: re-deploy from clean images; verify integrity (hashes) of Flowise dir and dependencies.

5) Patching & Configuration (what “fixed” looks like)

  • Upgrade to the latest Flowise that remediates your tracked CVEs; for CVE-2025-8943, ensure ≥3.0.1 and require authentication (disable default-open posture). NVD

  • Track advisories for GHSA-8vvx-qvq9-5948 & CVE-2025-26319/CVE-2025-55346; several advisories initially shipped with no patched version—verify current maintainer guidance before production rollout. GitHubPentest-Tools.comresearch.jfrog.com

  • Enforce auth/RBAC for every environment (dev, staging, prod). Do not expose Flowise admin/API directly to the public internet. NVD

Hardening checklist

  • Reverse proxy + WAF with allow-listed routes; block file-write endpoints from untrusted IPs.

  • Run Flowise as non-root; read-only FS segments where possible; drop Linux capabilities; AppArmor/SELinux profiles.

  • Disable or tightly constrain Custom MCPs; require explicit allow-lists for any OS-level tooling. NVD

  • Validate upload types/size; store uploads outside the executable tree; sanitize paths; strip executable bit on write.

  • Secrets hygiene: vault the keys; avoid .env leakage; rotate on incident.

6) Security testing (DevSecOps)

  • Add DAST checks for /api/v1/attachments and /api/v1/document-store/loader/process; fuzz for path traversal and content-type bypass. Pentest-Tools.comGitHub

  • SCA/SBOM on the Flowise container; lock npm with --omit=dev and verified lockfiles.

  • Pre-prod gates to assert auth required and MCP disabled unless business-approved.

7) Executive one-pager (copy/paste)

  • What: Multiple RCE-class vulnerabilities in Flowise (file upload/write, JS-injection, MCP command exec), some pre-auth and some default-no-auth pre-3.0.1. Many score CVSS 9.8. Pentest-Tools.comGitHubresearch.jfrog.comNVD

  • Risk: Full host compromise, theft of AI/LLM credentials & data, supply-chain pivot.

  • Action: Remove public exposure, patch/upgrade (≥3.0.1 for MCP auth baseline), force authentication/RBAC, hunt logs for upload/write abuses, rotate secrets. NVD

8) References (read these first)

  • CVE-2025-8943 (Custom MCPs → OS command exec; default no-auth pre-3.0.1). NVD

  • CVE-2025-55346 (JS-injection RCE; JFrog advisory). research.jfrog.com

  • CVE-2025-26319 (pre-auth arbitrary file upload ≤2.2.6). Pentest-Tools.com

  • GHSA-8vvx-qvq9-5948 (arbitrary file write → RCE, overwrite package.json). GitHub+1

  • CVE-2024-31621 (earlier RCE lineage). CVE Details

CyberDudeBivash Recommendations

  • CISOs: Treat Flowise as Tier-0 if it holds LLM keys/data; require ZTNA and RBAC before any exposure.

  • Blue Teams: Build a dashboard for version, auth mode, public exposure, and suspicious POSTs to upload/write endpoints.

  • Red/Purple: Emulate upload-to-exec and MCP command chains in a lab to validate WAF and EDR detections.

  • Builders: Make auth on by default, isolate uploads, and ship signed containers with secure defaults.

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