{"cve":"CVE-2026-49986","nvd":{"published":"2026-08-14T17:18:27.147","modified":"2026-09-18T20:09:01.757","status":"Deferred","description":"The Cortex MCP server (`neuro-cortex-memory`), a cross-platform persistent memory MCP, prior to version 3.17.1 treats the `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR` environment variable — automatically set by Claude Code to the currently open project directory — as a trusted Cortex developer checkout. When the `open_visualization` tool is invoked, `_find_dev_source()` resolves the user's active project directory as a candidate Cortex source root. The only validation performed by `_is_cortex_root()` is a check for the presence of an `mcp_server/` subdirectory and a `ui/unified-viz.html` file. An attacker who places these two marker files in a malicious repository can cause Cortex to execute an arbitrary `mcp_server/server/visualize_bootstrap.py` from that directory via `subprocess.run([sys.executable, ...])`, achieving code execution with the privileges of the victim's local user process. Version 3.17.1 fixes the issue.","cvss_v4":{"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P","score":7.1},"cvss_v3":null,"cwes":["CWE-829"],"references":["https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/releases/tag/v3.17.1","https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g","https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/neuro-cortex-memory/PYSEC-2026-2676.yaml","https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g"],"products":[],"source":"nvd","synced_at":"2026-10-19T22:48:17.459049833+00:00"},"epss":{"cve":"CVE-2026-49986","score":0.0016,"percentile":0.05139,"date":"2026-11-01"},"kev":null,"osv":[{"id":"GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g","url":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g","summary":"Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`","modified":"2026-07-13T16:43:39.951393754Z","packages":[{"ecosystem":"PyPI","name":"neuro-cortex-memory","purl":"pkg:pypi/neuro-cortex-memory","ranges":["<3.18.0"],"fixed":["3.18.0"]}]},{"id":"PYSEC-2026-2676","url":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/PYSEC-2026-2676","summary":"Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`","modified":"2026-07-13T16:31:33.223141964Z","packages":[{"ecosystem":"PyPI","name":"neuro-cortex-memory","purl":"pkg:pypi/neuro-cortex-memory","ranges":["<3.18.0"],"fixed":["3.18.0"]}]}],"attribution":["This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.","EPSS scores: FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System, https://www.first.org/epss","Known exploited vulnerabilities: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","Package advisories: OSV (https://osv.dev), from the GitHub Advisory Database, PyPA, Go, RustSec and other ecosystem databases, under CC-BY 4.0 or CC0","CVE records: the CVE Program's CVE List (https://www.cve.org), under its terms of use (https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse). CVE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation; this product is not affiliated with the CVE Program."]}