The vulnerability in Snowflake Python API (snowflake.core) versions before 1.13.0 arises from insufficient sanitization of input identifiers. Specifically, unencoded '..' path segments enable path traversal (CWE-22), and unencoded special characters such as '&', '#', and '=' in query string values enable HTTP parameter pollution (CWE-141). These flaws allow an attacker with control over object names in downstream applications to cause the API to issue REST requests against unauthorized parent resources or override constraints on operations like swap, clone, or rename. Exploitation requires the attacker to have access to an application passing these inputs to snowflake.core under a privileged session context, such as EXECUTE AS OWNER stored procedures or native apps. The vendor released a fix in version 1.13.0 that addresses these issues along with other security findings.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to escalate privileges within applications using snowflake.core by performing unauthorized operations under a higher-privileged Snowflake session. This can lead to unauthorized modification or manipulation of database objects, potentially impacting data integrity and application behavior. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.1 reflects high impact on integrity and availability with network attack vector and low attack complexity.

A fix is available in Snowflake Python API version 1.13.0. Users must manually upgrade to this version to remediate the vulnerability. Since this is a cloud service, the vendor manages the backend service security; however, client-side API usage requires upgrading to the patched version to prevent exploitation. No additional vendor advisory states that no action is required or that the issue is already mitigated.