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TI-2026-36818 Aliases CVE-2026-49986GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g

Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`

Priority HIGH 66CWE-829Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-829.

Summary

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.

Why it matters now

Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.0016 5th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Cortex (cdeust): 3.17.1neuro-cortex-memory (PyPI): 3.18.0

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
Poc
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
cdeustCortexbefore 3.17.13.17.1Patch availableCNA
—neuro-cortex-memory (PyPI)before 3.18.03.18.0Patch availableGHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g
  • Cortex Vendorcdeust Affected before 3.17.1 Fixed in 3.17.1 Patch available CNA
  • neuro-cortex-memory (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 3.18.0 Fixed in 3.18.0 Patch available GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Cortex (cdeust) Fixed in 3.17.1
  • Fix · GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g neuro-cortex-memory (PyPI) Fixed in 3.18.0 Advisory →

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-49986
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g

References

Sources