CVE-2026-13752: Snowflake CLI SQL Injection Vulnerability – Patch v3.19

Technical summary

CVE-2026-13752 is a SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) in Snowflake CLI prior to version 3.19, stemming from improper neutralization of parameters passed to vulnerable command paths. The vulnerability exists because user-controlled input is not adequately sanitized before being incorporated into SQL statements executed against the Snowflake database. Attack vectors include direct user input, malicious configuration files in git repositories, or compromised CI/CD pipelines that supply external data to CLI commands. The severity is rated CVSS 3.1 Medium (score 6.0) due to local attack surface requirements and the need for user interaction, though successful exploitation can result in unauthorized data access or modification.

Business impact

Organizations relying on Snowflake CLI for data operations, automation, or scheduled queries face potential data exposure or unauthorized modification if attackers compromise user sessions or development workflows. Data engineers, analysts, and automation systems running vulnerable CLI versions are at risk. The impact scales with account privileges—compromised service accounts with broad database permissions pose the greatest business risk. Manual intervention is required; there is no automatic patching mechanism, meaning security teams must actively identify and upgrade all affected installations.

Affected systems

Snowflake CLI versions prior to 3.19 are vulnerable. This includes all installations that have not been manually upgraded to 3.19 or later. Organizations should audit CLI deployments across development machines, CI/CD pipelines, containerized environments, and automation servers. The vulnerability does not affect Snowflake's cloud platform itself, only the command-line client tool used to interact with it.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires local or proximate access and user interaction, lowering the CVSS score but not eliminating practical risk. Attack scenarios include social engineering (convincing a user to run a malicious command), compromised git repositories with injected configuration that feeds crafted input to CLI commands, or supply-chain compromise of automation scripts. Once a user executes a vulnerable CLI command with attacker-controlled input, SQL injection occurs within the context of that user's Snowflake session. No public exploit code has been reported, and the vulnerability is not tracked in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting active exploitation in the wild is currently limited.

Remediation

Upgrade Snowflake CLI to version 3.19 or later. This is a mandatory manual upgrade—no automatic patching is available. Organizations should verify current CLI versions across all systems and establish a deployment plan. Additionally, restrict CLI use to trusted users, implement code review for automation scripts that invoke CLI commands, and monitor for suspicious SQL activity in audit logs.

Patch guidance

Update Snowflake CLI to version 3.19 or newer by following Snowflake's official installation or upgrade documentation. For development machines, users can upgrade via package managers (e.g., pip, homebrew, etc.) or direct download. For containerized or automated environments, rebuild images or update dependency manifests to pin version 3.19+. Test the upgraded version in a non-production environment before wide deployment. Verify the upgrade by running 'snowflake --version' to confirm version 3.19 or later is active. Consult the Snowflake CLI release notes and vendor advisory to confirm no breaking changes affect your workflows.

Detection guidance

Monitor Snowflake audit logs for unusual or unexpected SQL statements, particularly those executed from known CLI usage patterns or at unexpected times. Inspect CLI command logs for suspicious parameter values or encoding anomalies. Track installed CLI versions using software inventory or package management tools; flag any installations below 3.19. In CI/CD and automation contexts, review job logs for command execution errors or unexpected query results that could indicate injection attempts. Monitor process execution on systems where CLI is installed for invocations with suspicious arguments or from unexpected user accounts.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability warrants prompt attention because it enables SQL injection—a high-impact attack class—and affects data engineering infrastructure that often handles sensitive or regulated data. The requirement for user interaction and local access mitigates urgency somewhat, but the manual upgrade requirement means no automatic protection will arrive; security teams must actively drive remediation. Organizations with strict data governance, healthcare, or financial data should prioritize highest. Those with extensive CLI automation or shared development environments should prioritize next. The lack of current KEV listing suggests exploitation is not yet widespread, providing a window to patch proactively before threat actors adapt.

Risk score, explained

CVSS 3.1 score of 6.0 (Medium) reflects the balance of high impact (confidentiality and integrity) against limited attack surface. A local or adjacent network attacker must trigger user interaction or compromise a trusted configuration/automation channel. Once exploited, the attacker gains SQL execution privileges equal to the affected user account—potentially high impact for privileged accounts, but not catastrophic if the affected account is read-only or restricted. The score does not account for business context; organizations should elevate priority if CLI is widely deployed, used by high-privilege accounts, or integrated into critical data pipelines.

Frequently asked questions