{
  "affected": [
    {
      "ranges": [
        {
          "database_specific": {
            "extracted_events": [
              {
                "introduced": "0"
              },
              {
                "fixed": "3.17.1"
              }
            ],
            "source": [
              "AFFECTED_FIELD",
              "REFERENCES"
            ]
          },
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "5d22091a25f0d6817cce61f0cffe1db81a463284"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://github.com/cdeust/cortex",
          "type": "GIT"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-829"
    ],
    "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/49xxx/CVE-2026-49986.json"
  },
  "details": "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.",
  "id": "CVE-2026-49986",
  "modified": "2026-08-19T03:31:07.254865467Z",
  "published": "2026-08-14T16:21:39.125Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/releases/tag/v3.17.1"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/49xxx/CVE-2026-49986.json"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/cdeust/Cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/neuro-cortex-memory/PYSEC-2026-2676.yaml"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49986"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.9.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "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",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "Cortex has Untrusted Project Bootstrap Code Execution via `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`"
}