CVE-2024-40637 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.2) CWE-74 vulnerability in dbt-core. 3 public exploit references exist, 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
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2024-40637 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
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' |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
dbt enables data analysts and engineers to transform their data using th…
dbt enables data analysts and engineers to transform their data using th…
dbt enables data analysts and engineers to transform their data using th…
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
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2024-40637 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-40637. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-40637 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-40637 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.