Affected: Bitnami: virtualenv

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. From 21.14.8 until 21.14.10, the app-data seeder can leave an environment linked to temporary package files that virtualenv deletes when creation finishes. The environment-variable and configuration-file forms of symlink_app_data can enable this state even though the command-line flag is disabled for temporary app-data. The resulting environment depends on a cache pathname that its owner no longer controls. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.10.

Affected: pypa virtualenv

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. From 21.14.8 until 21.14.10, the app-data seeder can leave an environment linked to temporary package files that virtualenv deletes when creation finishes. The environment-variable and configuration-file forms of symlink_app_data can enable this state even though the command-line flag is disabled for temporary app-data. The resulting environment depends on a cache pathname that its owner no longer controls. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.10.

Affected: PyPI: virtualenv

## Summary

The app-data seeder can leave an environment linked to temporary package files that virtualenv deletes when creation finishes. The environment-variable and configuration-file forms of `symlink_app_data` can enable this state even though the command-line flag is disabled for temporary app-data. The resulting environment depends on a cache pathname that its owner no longer controls.

Anthropic's OSS Scanner reported this as `ANT-2026-ZOE2GEPC` in `virtualenv-20261015-005`, received on 15 October 2026. This draft records source review and functional remediation checks. The reporter's cross-account code-execution claim has not been independently reproduced.

## Affected area

Integrity of app-data references after temporary cache cleanup.

## Attacker-controlled input

Symlink seeding must be enabled through `VIRTUALENV_SYMLINK_APP_DATA` or `symlink_app_data` in the configuration file, and app-data setup must fall back to a temporary directory. A missing or unwritable configured cache can cause that fallback. Ordinary copy seeding does not leave these references.

The security concern requires a shared temporary-directory parent where another account can acquire the deleted cache pathname, followed by use of the affected environment. That account need not already be able to modify the environment or the private cache while it exists. This differs from the security policy's excluded case of an account that already controls live app-data contents. On a platform with a…