CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-48039NVD status: Deferred

meta-ads-mcp: Improper Authentication

CVE-2026-48039 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in meta-ads-mcp from Pipeboard-co, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected meta-ads-mcp versions: < 1.0.109. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.59% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Check which version of meta-ads-mcp you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Pipeboard-cometa-ads-mcp< 1.0.109Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

Meta Ads MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets AI assistants run Meta Ads. Prior to version 1.0.109, `AuthInjectionMiddleware.dispatch()` at `http_auth_integration.py:272` unconditionally forwards unauthenticated Streamable HTTP requests to downstream MCP tool handlers without issuing a `401` response, allowing any network-reachable caller to invoke MCP tools without authentication. When no per-request credential is present, tool handlers fall back to the `META_ACCESS_TOKEN` environment variable, and when the downstream Meta Graph API call fails, `api.py:263–269` serialises the raw `httpx` request URL—including the operator's `access_token` as a query parameter—into the JSON-RPC response body, delivering the credential to the unauthenticated caller. Version 1.0.109 fixes the issue.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication

When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.

More Improper Authentication vulnerabilities (CWE-287)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in meta-ads-mcp

All meta-ads-mcp vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities

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