CVE-2026-61542
Gearboy advisory / Gearsystem body: Unauthenticated network exposure of MCP HTTP tools
Gearboy is a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator and debugger with an embedded MCP server. Gearsystem, the affected component, has an optional --mcp-http mode that accepts unauthenticated MCP requests from any reachable network peer despite localhost-only documentation and logging. In the described platforms/shared/desktop/mcp/mcp_transport.h transport, the socket binds INADDR_ANY, normally on port 7777, and POST requests to /mcp reach dispatch without Authorization, Host, or Origin checks. Responses and OPTIONS advertise Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. A peer can initialize an MCP session and invoke exposed emulator/debugging operations; even a garbage bearer token does not block dispatch, while a loopback-bind negative control prevents network access. The reported impact is bounded to the emulator process, debugging state, and local files accepted as media, rather than demonstrated host code execution. Gearboy 3.8.7 contains a patch.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.6
Gearboy advisory / Gearsystem body: Unauthenticated network exposure of MCP HTTP tools
Gearboy is a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator and debugger with an embedded MCP server. Gearsystem, the affected component, has an optional --mcp-http mode that accepts unauthenticated MCP requests from any reachable network peer despite localhost-only documentation and logging. In the described platforms/shared/desktop/mcp/mcp_transport.h transport, the socket binds INADDR_ANY, normally on port 7777, and POST requests to /mcp reach dispatch without Authorization, Host, or Origin checks. Responses and OPTIONS advertise Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. A peer can initialize an MCP session and invoke exposed emulator/debugging operations; even a garbage bearer token does not block dispatch, while a loopback-bind negative control prevents network access. The reported impact is bounded to the emulator process, debugging state, and local files accepted as media, rather than demonstrated host code execution. Gearboy 3.8.7 contains a patch.
- Record
CVE-2026-61542- CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-306
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
EUVDEUVD-2026-112412
8.6
Gearboy is a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator and debugger with an embedded MCP server. Gearsystem, the affected component, has an optional --mcp-http mode that accepts unauthenticated MCP requests from any reachable network peer despite localhost-only documentation and logging. In the described platforms/shared/desktop/mcp/mcp_transport.h transport, the socket binds INADDR_ANY, normally on port 7777, and POST requests to /mcp reach dispatch without Authorization, Host, or Origin checks. Responses and OPTIONS advertise Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. A peer can initialize an MCP session and invoke exposed emulator/debugging operations; even a garbage bearer token does not block dispatch, while a loopback-bind negative control prevents network access. The reported impact is bounded to the emulator process, debugging state, and local files accepted as media, rather than demonstrated host code execution. Gearboy 3.8.7 contains a patch.
- Record
EUVD-2026-112412- CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
8.6
Gearboy is a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator and debugger with an embedded MCP server. Gearsystem, the affected component, has an optional --mcp-http mode that accepts unauthenticated MCP requests from any reachable network peer despite localhost-only documentation and logging. In the described platforms/shared/desktop/mcp/mcp_transport.h transport, the socket binds INADDR_ANY, normally on port 7777, and POST requests to /mcp reach dispatch without Authorization, Host, or Origin checks. Responses and OPTIONS advertise Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. A peer can initialize an MCP session and invoke exposed emulator/debugging operations; even a garbage bearer token does not block dispatch, while a loopback-bind negative control prevents network access. The reported impact is bounded to the emulator process, debugging state, and local files accepted as media, rather than demonstrated host code execution. Gearboy 3.8.7 contains a patch.
- Record
CVE-2026-61542- CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-306
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
8.6
Gearboy advisory / Gearsystem body: Unauthenticated network exposure of MCP HTTP tools
Gearboy is a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator and debugger with an embedded MCP server. Gearsystem, the affected component, has an optional --mcp-http mode that accepts unauthenticated MCP requests from any reachable network peer despite localhost-only documentation and logging. In the described platforms/shared/desktop/mcp/mcp_transport.h transport, the socket binds INADDR_ANY, normally on port 7777, and POST requests to /mcp reach dispatch without Authorization, Host, or Origin checks. Responses and OPTIONS advertise Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. A peer can initialize an MCP session and invoke exposed emulator/debugging operations; even a garbage bearer token does not block dispatch, while a loopback-bind negative control prevents network access. The reported impact is bounded to the emulator process, debugging state, and local files accepted as media, rather than demonstrated host code execution. Gearboy 3.8.7 contains a patch.
- Record
CVE-2026-61542- CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-306
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | NVD | |
| references | CVE List, EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-61542 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.6) in Drhelius Gearboy, published October 28, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.31%, the 23rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/drhelius/Gearboy/security/advisories/GHSA-fmvx-487g-mrww
github.com/drhelius/Gearboy/commit/e2ead98e2fac41e9df5a499e9e421c6a0e73f1bc
github.com/drhelius/Gearboy/releases/tag/3.8.7
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/61xxx/CVE-2026-61542.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61542