CVE-2026-112912: filelock: Symlink swap during SoftFileLock's writability check leaks whether a path exists and is writable by the lock taker
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 10/100)
- 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: 0.21% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: tox-dev filelock 4.2.1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to tox-dev filelock 4.2.1 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
filelock is a platform-independent file lock for Python. From 3.32.6 until 4.2.1, SoftFileLock can follow a swapped symbolic link during the conditional os.access writability check for a node without its owner-write bit, allowing another local user on a platform and directory configuration that follows the link to infer whether a chosen path exists and is writable from the observable acquisition result. This issue is fixed in version 4.2.1.
- Published
- Oct 20, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 11th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-59
Report tools
Action score
10
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 10 / 40 · 2.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 2.5
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
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.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi 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.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| tox-dev | filelock | cpe:2.3:a:tox-dev:filelock |
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
tox-dev filelock
- >= 3.32.6, < 4.2.1affected
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- tox-dev filelock3.32.6 and later · before 4.2.1
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | python-filelock | from 0 | — |
| Debian:14 | python-filelock | before 4.2.8-1 | 4.2.8-1 |
| PyPI | filelock | from 3.32.6 · before 4.2.1 | 4.2.1 |
Same product
tox-dev: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-112940filelock ReadWriteLock: SQLite reopens the lock database by name, so a planted symlink or journal file makes the lock user's process overwrite or unlink its…28Monitor
- CVE-2025-68146filelock has TOCTOU race condition that allows symlink attacks during lock file creation26Monitor
- CVE-2026-112911filelock: StrictSoftFileLock and SoftReadWriteLock adopt a protocol directory another user created first, losing mutual exclusion25Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-112906Oct 20, 2026 · filelock: SoftFileLock evicts a fresh lock file whose watched age another local user's pre-dated file passed on through inode reuse18Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-112909Oct 20, 2026 · filelock: UnixFileLock truncates and chmods any regular file another user renames or hard-links onto the lock path24Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-112914Oct 20, 2026 · filelock: SoftFileLock stale-break restore follows a swapped-in symbolic link and hard-links a file of the user running the lock into the lock directory21Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| tox-dev filelock | 4.2.1 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:python-filelock | 4.2.8-1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:filelock | 4.2.1 | Package 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.
- Published
- Fix recordedsame day
- TodayNov 13, 2026+24 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2025-68146308 days apartfilelock has TOCTOU race condition that allows symlink attacks during lock file creation26Monitor
- CVE-2026-1129360 days apartfilelock: ReadWriteLock follows a symlink at the lock path into SQLite24Monitor
- CVE-2026-22701283 days apartfilelock Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) Symlink Vulnerability in SoftFileLock21Monitor
Not on record for this CVE: researcher credit · public bounty program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-59 · Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Obfuscated Files or Information: HTML SmugglingT1027.006
- Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded PayloadsT1027.009
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution:Shortcut ModificationT1547.009
- Hide Artifacts: Resource ForkingT1564.009
- Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions WeaknessT1574.005
- Hijack Execution Flow: Services File Permissions WeaknessT1574.010
Change log
- SSVC exploitation— → poc
- Exploit maturity— → none
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (2 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.