CVEs / CVE-2026-49986
CVE-2026-49986
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.
Affected products · 1
| Product | Versions affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic: Claude Code | not stated by CPE | — |
Versions as NVD's CPE configuration states them; "—" means the record gives no fixed version, not that none exists. Check the vendor's advisory in the references.
In this registry
- Claude Code — agent dossier
References · 3
- github.com/cdeust/Cortex/releases/tag/v3.17.1
- github.com/cdeust/Cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-gvpp-v77h-5w8g
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/neuro-cortex-memory/PYSEC-2026-2676.yaml
The official record's references, as NVD lists them, minus any tagged Exploit. Nothing here is an exploit or a proof of concept.
Description, scores, versions and references are the official CVE record's own, retrieved 2026-10-25 from NVD. Category, attack surface and cross-links are this registry's classification and can be wrong — use the button above. Not a severity assessment for your deployment.