CVE-2026-44968 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in dbt-mcp (pip), affecting versions <= 1.17.0. It is fixed in 1.17.1.
Discovered through manual source code review. Verified by PoC execution against a local dbt-mcp v1.15.1 installation. Summary rundbtcommand() in src/dbtmcp/dbtcli/tools.py constructs the dbt subprocess argument list by appending user-supplied MCP tool parameters without sanitization. Two independent injection vectors exist. An MCP client can inject arbitrary dbt global flags, such as --profiles-dir, --project-dir, and --target, by crafting the nodeselection string (Vector 1) or the resourcetype JSON array (Vector 2). Because subprocess.Popen is called with shell=False and a list argument, shell metacharacter injection is not possible; however, this provides no defense against argument list injection (CWE-88), where attacker-controlled tokens are interpreted by the target process as flags rather than values. Details Vector 1, nodeselection string Affected tools: build, compile, run, test, clone, list, getnodedetailsdev str.split(" ") does not distinguish dbt selector tokens from flag tokens. Input "mymodel --profiles-dir /tmp/evil" produces: Each JSON array element is appended verbatim to argv. Input ["model", "--profiles-dir", "/tmp/evil"] produces: MCP client exploit, triggers injection through the real protocol stack Expected server log (INFO level, src/dbtmcp/mcp/server.py line 67): Vector 2, validate resourcetype against an explicit allowlist: Hardening:* Add pattern regex constraints to the Pydantic Field definitions for nodeselection so that malformed inputs are rejected at the MCP schema layer before reaching rundbtcommand(). Add regression tests in tests/unit/ with payloads containing --profiles-dir, --project-dir, and --target to prevent re-introduction.
CVE-2026-44968 has a CVSS score of 6.3 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment.
A fixed version is available (1.17.1). Upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
pip
dbt-mcp (<= 1.17.0)dbt-mcp → 1.17.1 (pip)Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter instead of chasing every advisory.
Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether CVE-2026-44968 is reachable in your applications. Explore AI application security for your team.
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Upgrade dbt-mcp to 1.17.1 or later to resolve this vulnerability.
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
CVE-2026-44968 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in dbt-mcp (pip), affecting versions <= 1.17.0. It is fixed in 1.17.1.
CVE-2026-44968 has a CVSS score of 6.3 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
dbt-mcp (pip) versions <= 1.17.0 is affected.
Yes. CVE-2026-44968 is fixed in 1.17.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Whether CVE-2026-44968 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
Upgrade dbt-mcp to 1.17.1 or later.