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CVE.org (no NVD analysis yet)· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2026-113724: virtualenv: Deletion recovery can change a symlink target's mode

MediumCVSS 4.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)

  • 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: 0.20% (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: pypa virtualenv 21.14.9; azl3 python-virtualenv 20.36.1-6 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to pypa virtualenv 21.14.9; azl3 python-virtualenv 20.36.1-6 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes 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

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, the safe_delete() deletion error handler responds to a failed removal by reading mode bits with os.lstat(path) and applying owner-write permission with os.chmod(path, ...), which follows a symlink. A planted link inside a read-only directory can therefore cause a victim-owned target outside the destination that is initially not writable by the invoking user to become broadly writable before the retry fails, provided that user owns the target and can change its mode. Another account can use the widened mode only if it can traverse the target's parent directories; root does not reach the demonstrated failure path, and the operation does not itself read the target. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.

Published
Oct 20, 2026
Updated
Oct 27, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 10th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

18

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
18 / 40 · 4.5 / 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
4.5
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.

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When you'll hear from us

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  • 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.

—

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.

  • pypa virtualenv

    • < 21.14.9affected

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12python-virtualenvfrom 0—
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython-virtualenvbefore 21.15.1-1.121.15.1-1.1
PyPIvirtualenvbefore 21.14.921.14.9

Same product

pypa: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-113776virtualenv activation scripts run code from a path that contains a placeholder name
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-113732virtualenv activate.fish runs commands from a path or prompt with a backslash before a quote
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-113726virtualenv activate runs commands from the environment name in zsh with PROMPT_SUBST
    31Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-113722Oct 20, 2026 · virtualenv: Generated POSIX console launchers interpret destination paths as shell syntax
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-113723Oct 20, 2026 · virtualenv: Bash prompt values can change meaning under older compatibility modes
    28Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-113725Oct 20, 2026 · virtualenv bash activate runs commands from an environment name with a backslash before $
    31Monitor

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
pypa virtualenv21.14.9 · descriptionVendor (CNA)
azl3 python-virtualenv 20.36.1-6 on Azure Linux 3.0Release NotesMicrosoft (MSRC)
opensuse:python-virtualenv21.15.1-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
PyPI:virtualenv21.14.9Package 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.

  1. Published
  2. Fix recordedsame day
  3. TodayNov 14, 2026+24 d
EPSS, last 120 days

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-2026-1137160 days apartvirtualenv: Builtin creation follows linked environment directories
    18Monitor
  • CVE-2026-1137210 days apartvirtualenv: Generated files can follow existing destination links
    18Monitor

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

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:L/A:L

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.

Change log

  1. SSVC exploitation— → poc
  2. Exploit maturity— → none
  3. 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