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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2020-15801: In Python 3.8.4, sys.path restrictions specified in a python38._pth file are ignored, allowing code to be loaded from arbitrary locations.

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Plan (action score 40/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 3.6% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 89.5% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: python310 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 3.10.0rc1-4.2; python311 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 3.11.0b1-1.1; python312 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 3.12.0a7-1.1.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to python310 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 3.10.0rc1-4.2; python311 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 3.11.0b1-1.1; python312 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 3.12.0a7-1.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In Python 3.8.4, sys.path restrictions specified in a python38._pth file are ignored, allowing code to be loaded from arbitrary locations. The <executable-name>._pth file (e.g., the python._pth file) is not affected.

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 17, 2020
Updated
Oct 14, 2026
EPSS
3.6% · 89th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

40

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 3.6%

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2020-15801

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
pythonpython
microsoftwindows
netappmax data

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • netapp max dataall versions
  • python python3.7.0 and later · before 3.7.9
  • python python3.8.0 and later · before 3.8.5

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython310before 3.10.0rc1-4.23.10.0rc1-4.2
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython311before 3.11.0b1-1.13.11.0b1-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython312before 3.12.0a7-1.13.12.0a7-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython313before 3.13.0~b3-1.13.13.0~b3-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython314before 3.14.0~a1-1.13.14.0~a1-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython315before 3.15.0~a1-1.13.15.0~a1-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython39before 3.9.7-2.13.9.7-2.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0python311before 3.11.11-1.13.11.11-1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0python311before 3.11.13-1.13.11.13-1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0python311before 3.11.8-3.13.11.8-3.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0python311-corebefore 3.11.11-1.13.11.11-1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0python311-corebefore 3.11.13-1.13.11.13-1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0python311-corebefore 3.11.8-3.13.11.8-3.1

Same product

python: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2016-5636Integer overflow in the get_data function in zipimport.c in CPython (aka Python) before 2.7.12, 3.x before 3.4.5, and 3.5.x before 3.5.2 all
    47Plan
  • CVE-2007-4559Directory traversal vulnerability in the (1) extract and (2) extractall functions in the tarfile module in Python allows user-assisted remot
    47Plan
  • CVE-2021-3177Python 3.x through 3.9.1 has a buffer overflow in PyCArg_repr in _ctypes/callproc.c, which may lead to remote code execution in certain Pyth
    46Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-15523Jul 4, 2020 · In Python 3.6 through 3.6.10, 3.7 through 3.7.8, 3.8 through 3.8.4rc1, and 3.9 through 3.9.0b4 on Windows, a Trojan horse python3.dll might
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2019-20907Jul 13, 2020 · In Lib/tarfile.py in Python through 3.8.3, an attacker is able to craft a TAR archive leading to an infinite loop when opened by tarfile.ope
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2020-26116Sep 27, 2020 · http.client in Python 3.x before 3.5.10, 3.6.x before 3.6.12, 3.7.x before 3.7.9, and 3.8.x before 3.8.5 allows CRLF injection if the attack
    30Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
opensuse:python3103.10.0rc1-4.2 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3113.11.0b1-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3123.12.0a7-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3133.13.0~b3-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3143.14.0~a1-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3153.15.0~a1-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python393.9.7-2.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
suse:python3113.11.8-3.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0Package registry (OSV)
suse:python311-core3.11.8-3.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-426 · Untrusted Search Path

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (3 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records