CVE-2026-113722

virtualenv: Generated POSIX console launchers interpret destination paths as shell syntax

State
Published
Severity
7.8 High
Published
Oct 20, 2026
Updated
Oct 23, 2026
Reserved
Oct 20, 2026

Read the record on cve.org

Description

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, virtualenv's ScriptMakerCustom and pip pass an incompletely quoted interpreter path to distlib ScriptMaker when generating POSIX console scripts. When the path contains a space or produces a shebang longer than 127 bytes, distlib emits a /bin/sh wrapper whose double-quoted interpreter path still expands command substitutions and backticks. An attacker who influences the environment destination can therefore execute commands with the user's privileges when the user later runs a generated launcher; environment creation and activation do not trigger the command. Existing launchers are not repaired by upgrading virtualenv alone and must be regenerated, while a later independent pip installation or upgrade can reintroduce an affected launcher because pip's vendored distlib is unchanged. The virtualenv fix is released in version 21.14.9.

Scores

CVSSScoreVectorSource
3.17.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HGitHub_M

Weaknesses

  • CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

Affected Products

ProductVersions
virtualenvpypa
  • < 21.14.9Affected

References

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