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virtualenv: Seed replacement does not contain metadata deletion paths

Type: advisorySources: Official CVE List

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, PipInstall._uninstall_previous_version() accepts existing seed-package metadata and _uninstall_dist() joins entries from top_level.txt and RECORD to site-packages without checking containment. When a reused destination contains distribution metadata influenced by another account, relative traversal, absolute entries, or linked parents can cause app-data reseeding to delete files outside the environment or the environment root with the invoking user's permissions, provided that user has deletion rights over the named paths. The deletion occurs during environment creation before any later use of the environment. Fresh environments without existing package metadata and creation with --clear do not enter this cleanup path. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.

Products
virtualenv
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2026-113719
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
31 Oct 2026, 13:45 UTC · Revision 2

Source evidence

virtualenv: Seed replacement does not contain metadata deletion paths

core-cve · Original source

Published 20 Oct 2026, 19:42 UTC

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, PipInstall._uninstall_previous_version() accepts existing seed-package metadata and _uninstall_dist() joins entries from top_level.txt and RECORD to site-packages without checking containment. When a reused destination contains distribution metadata influenced by another account, relative traversal, absolute entries, or linked parents can cause app-data reseeding to delete files outside the environment or the environment root with the invoking user's permissions, provided that user has deletion rights over the named paths. The deletion occurs during environment creation before any later use of the environment. Fresh environments without existing package metadata and creation with --clear do not enter this cleanup path. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.

cve:CVE-2026-113719

virtualenv

Fixed versions: Not specified

Complete source record
{
  "id": "9a7dd7b4318fc400a793cdf18a64b0e58afa39de46c0c0f2e228cdf3b1f4a661",
  "url": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-113719",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "virtualenv: Seed replacement does not contain metadata deletion paths",
    "summary": "virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, PipInstall._uninstall_previous_version() accepts existing seed-package metadata and _uninstall_dist() joins entries from top_level.txt and RECORD to site-packages without checking containment. When a reused destination contains distribution metadata influenced by another account, relative traversal, absolute entries, or linked parents can cause app-data reseeding to delete files outside the environment or the environment root with the invoking user's permissions, provided that user has deletion rights over the named paths. The deletion occurs during environment creation before any later use of the environment. Fresh environments without existing package metadata and creation with --clear do not enter this cleanup path. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.",
    "evidence": "cve:CVE-2026-113719",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "virtualenv",
          "evidence": "/containers/cna/affected/0/product"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "medium",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2026-113719",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2026-113719"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "version": "3.1",
            "baseScore": 4.5,
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L",
            "integrityImpact": "LOW",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
            "availabilityImpact": "LOW",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "confidentialityImpact": "LOW"
          }
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "vendor": "pypa",
          "product": "virtualenv",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "< 21.14.9"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-27T11:01:51.649Z",
      "provider": "cve",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx",
        "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3428",
        "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/e3cea6fa10a50fa29cf1fdddd772458fba076d5f",
        "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "adp": [
          {
            "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment",
            "metrics": [
              {
                "other": {
                  "type": "ssvc",
                  "content": {
                    "id": "CVE-2026-113719",
                    "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                    "options": [
                      {
                        "Exploitation": "poc"
                      },
                      {
                        "Automatable": "no"
                      },
                      {
                        "Technical Impact": "partial"
                      }
                    ],
                    "version": "2.0.3",
                    "timestamp": "2026-10-27T11:01:18.774578Z"
                  }
                }
              }
            ],
            "references": [
              {
                "url": "https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx",
                "tags": [
                  "exploit"
                ]
              }
            ],
            "providerMetadata": {
              "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "shortName": "CISA-ADP",
              "dateUpdated": "2026-10-27T11:01:51.649Z"
            }
          }
        ],
        "cna": {
          "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
          "shortName": "GitHub_M",
          "dateUpdated": "2026-10-20T19:42:07.523Z"
        }
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2026-113719",
        "evidence": "/cveMetadata/cveId"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/containers/cna/metrics"
  },
  "source_id": "core-cve",
  "document_id": 391893,
  "published_at": "2026-10-20T19:42:07.523+00:00"
}