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Incorrect AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-863

CVE-2025-20381

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
60/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In Splunk MCP Server app versions below 0.2.4, a user with access to the "run_splunk_query" Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool could bypass the SPL command allowlist controls in MCP by embedding SPL commands as sub-searches, leading to unauthorized actions beyond the intended MCP restrictions.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Splunk MCP Server (versions below 0.2.4) contains an allowlist bypass vulnerability in the 'run_splunk_query' Model Context Protocol tool. Attackers can embed restricted SPL commands as sub-searches within queries, circumventing the command allowlist controls designed to limit MCP tool functionality to authorized operations only.

MitigationUpgrade Splunk MCP Server to version 0.2.4 or later to obtain the patched version that properly enforces SPL command allowlist restrictions and blocks sub-search injection vectors.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Splunk MCP Server installation
    Locate the Splunk MCP Server package in your environment. Check for installed MCP plugins or extensions related to Splunk. Common locations include plugin directories, configuration folders for MCP clients, or packaged applications that bundle the Splunk MCP Server.
    Affected if Splunk MCP Server is present and the version is below 0.2.4 or cannot be determined
  2. Determine installed version
    Run the appropriate command or inspect the package metadata to retrieve the Splunk MCP Server version. Common methods: check package.json, inspect the installed package via pip/npm, or query the MCP server's version endpoint if available.
    Affected if The installed version is below 0.2.4 or the version cannot be resolved
  3. Verify run_splunk_query tool is configured
    Inspect your MCP configuration files for the 'run_splunk_query' tool definition. Look in MCP client configuration files, Splunk app directories, or environment variables that define enabled MCP tools.
    Affected if The run_splunk_query tool is enabled in the MCP configuration
  4. Review command allowlist settings
    Examine the MCP server configuration for SPL command allowlist settings. Look for configuration keys related to command filtering, allowed SPL commands, or security policies that control which Splunk commands the MCP tool can execute.
    Affected if Allowlist controls exist but may not properly block sub-search injection, or no allowlist configuration is found

You are affected if Splunk MCP Server version below 0.2.4 is installed and the run_splunk_query tool is enabled, regardless of allowlist configuration status.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Splunk MCP Server to version 0.2.4 or later to obtain the patched version that properly enforces SPL command allowlist restrictions and blocks sub-search injection vectors.

Recommended fix High confidence

Splunk MCP Server version 0.2.4

  1. Back up your current Splunk MCP Server configuration and settings before upgrading.
  2. Download Splunk MCP Server version 0.2.4 or later from the official Splunk marketplace or distribution source.
  3. Upgrade the Splunk MCP Server app to version 0.2.4 through the Splunk management interface or by replacing the app files in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/.
  4. Restart the Splunk service to ensure the new version is fully loaded.
  5. Verify that the SPL command allowlist controls are enforced by testing the 'run_splunk_query' tool with sub-searches to confirm the bypass is no longer possible.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-20381 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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