Vulnerability  ·  2026-05-08

Cline Kanban WebSocket Hijacking Enables AI Agent Takeover (CVSS 9.7)

VulnerabilityHigh impactGlobal
Cline Kanban server version 0.1.59 exposes three unauthenticated WebSocket endpoints on port 3484 (runtime state, terminal I/O, session control) with no origin validation. Any website a developer visits can silently connect, exfiltrate workspace data (filesystem paths, git history, AI chat messages), inject commands into the agent's terminal, or kill active sessions. Browsers do not enforce cross-origin restrictions on WebSocket connections to localhost.
Attacker hosts a malicious webpage. When a developer with Cline running visits the page, JavaScript connects to ws://127.0.0.1:3484 WebSocket endpoints. The runtime endpoint returns a full environment snapshot. The terminal endpoint accepts raw input written directly to the pseudo-terminal buffer. With Cline's default 'bypass permissions' flag enabled, injected commands execute without authorization. Attack requires no phishing, malware, or social engineering—only a webpage visit.
Cline (widely-adopted open-source AI coding assistant) with Kanban feature enabled, version 0.1.59 of the npm package. The issue was disclosed May 7, 2026 by Oasis Security with a CVSS score of 9.7.
Update Cline to version 0.1.66 immediately. Disable the 'bypass permissions' flag in Cline settings to require per-action authorization for shell commands and filesystem modifications. Audit for similar localhost-as-trust-boundary errors in other AI coding tools. Oasis Security notes this follows the same pattern as their prior OpenClaw research, suggesting the flaw is systemic across AI agent platforms.
Sources
Infosecurity Magazine - Cline Kanban Flaw Lets Websites Hijack AI Coding AgentsOasis Security - Cline Kanban WebSocket Hijack Research
See this in the live feed Explore related AI security and governance findings — updated every morning.
Open the feed →