CVE-2024-40637 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.2) CWE-74 vulnerability in dbt-core. 3 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for dbt-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Implicit override for built-in materializations from installed packages in dbt-core
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2024-40637.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
dbt-core🐍dbt-coreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?
When a user installs a package in dbt, it has the ability to override macros, materializations, and other core components of dbt. This is by design, as it allows packages to extend and customize dbt's functionality. However, this also means that a malicious package could potentially override these components with harmful code.
Patches
Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?
Fixed on 1.8.0, and patched for 1.6.14 and 1.7.14 releases.
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
Previously, a materialization defined in a package that shared a name with one of the built-in materializations would be preferred by default, without user action which is surprising and makes it more difficult to detect the insecure behaviour. We've changed the default behaviour to require explicit overrides by users in 1.8.0, and provided the ability to opt-out of built-in materialization overrides in 1.6 and 1.7 via the flags.require_explicit_package_overrides_for_builtin_materializations: False configuration in dbt_project.yml
Versions older than 1.6 are EOL.
References
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
- dbt documentation: https://docs.getdbt.com/reference/global-configs/legacy-behaviors#behavior-change-flags
- https://www.elementary-data.com/post/are-dbt-packages-secure-the-answer-lies-in-your-dwh-policies
- https://www.equalexperts.com/blog/tech-focus/are-you-at-risk-from-this-critical-dbt-vulnerability/
- https://tempered.works/posts/2024/07/06/preventing-data-theft-with-gcp-service-controls/
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | dbt-core | ≥ 1.6.0&&< 1.6.14 | 1.6.14pip install --upgrade 'dbt-core==1.6.14' |
| 🐍PyPI | dbt-core | ≥ 1.7.0&&< 1.7.14 | 1.7.14pip install --upgrade 'dbt-core==1.7.14' |
Affected Products
dbt-coregetdbtResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for dbt-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update dbt-core to 1.6.14 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-40637 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-40637 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.