CVE-2026-113716 (GCVE-0-2026-113716)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-10-20 19:18 – Updated: 2026-10-20 19:18
VLAI
Title
virtualenv: Builtin creation follows linked environment directories
Summary
virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, the builtin creator calls ensure_dir() for executable, library, and package directories, and ensure_dir() accepts an existing symlink to a directory because exists() follows it. Interpreter creation, seed installation, and activation generation then write through the linked parent outside the requested destination when another local account prepared the tree and the invoking user can access the target. The --clear option removes the planted tree first, while ordinary creation reaches it; arbitrary attacker-selected output bytes are not established. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.
Severity
4.5 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
CWE
  • CWE-59 - Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Assigner
GitHub_M CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard C 72/100 over 7639 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
pypa virtualenv Affected: < 21.14.9
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "virtualenv",
          "vendor": "pypa",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 21.14.9"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, the builtin creator calls ensure_dir() for executable, library, and package directories, and ensure_dir() accepts an existing symlink to a directory because exists() follows it. Interpreter creation, seed installation, and activation generation then write through the linked parent outside the requested destination when another local account prepared the tree and the invoking user can access the target. The --clear option removes the planted tree first, while ordinary creation reaches it; arbitrary attacker-selected output bytes are not established. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "availabilityImpact": "LOW",
            "baseScore": 4.5,
            "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
            "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
            "integrityImpact": "LOW",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-59",
              "description": "CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (\u0027Link Following\u0027)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-10-20T19:18:09.392Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-cw65-gx24-rc82",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-cw65-gx24-rc82"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3429",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3429"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/554d9f9d4f7758f5cf53f993031e29787f1f74c5",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/554d9f9d4f7758f5cf53f993031e29787f1f74c5"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-cw65-gx24-rc82",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "virtualenv: Builtin creation follows linked environment directories"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-113716",
    "datePublished": "2026-10-20T19:18:09.392Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-10-20T16:03:14.863Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-10-20T19:18:09.392Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "product": "virtualenv",
                "vendor": "pypa",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "\u003c 21.14.9"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, the builtin creator calls ensure_dir() for executable, library, and package directories, and ensure_dir() accepts an existing symlink to a directory because exists() follows it. Interpreter creation, seed installation, and activation generation then write through the linked parent outside the requested destination when another local account prepared the tree and the invoking user can access the target. The --clear option removes the planted tree first, while ordinary creation reaches it; arbitrary attacker-selected output bytes are not established. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-113716",
        "lastModified": "2026-10-20T20:17:17.850",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
                "attackVector": "LOCAL",
                "availabilityImpact": "LOW",
                "baseScore": 4.5,
                "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
                "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
                "integrityImpact": "LOW",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 1.0,
              "impactScore": 3.4,
              "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
              "type": "Secondary"
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2026-10-20T20:17:17.850",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/554d9f9d4f7758f5cf53f993031e29787f1f74c5"
          },
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3429"
          },
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9"
          },
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-cw65-gx24-rc82"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "security-advisories@github.com",
        "vulnStatus": "Received",
        "weaknesses": [
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-59"
              }
            ],
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "type": "Primary"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-10-20T20:08:46+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-113716",
      "id": "CVE-2026-113716",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-10-20T19:18:09.392000+00:00",
      "product_status:known_affected": "26",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "virtualenv: virtualenv: Unauthorized file write via symlink following",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-113716.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



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