CVE-2026-113776
Received Received - Intake

Path Traversal in virtualenv Python Environment

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-113776, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-10-20

Last updated on: 2026-10-20

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. From 20.26.6 until 21.14.2, ViaTemplateActivator.instantiate_template() replaces placeholders one key at a time across the complete activation template, so trigger names such as __VIRTUAL_NAME__, __VIRTUAL_ENV__, or __VIRTUAL_PROMPT__ inside an already substituted and quoted environment path or prompt can be replaced during a later pass. The later value's quoting can close the earlier literal and execute the remaining path when a user activates the environment through bash, fish, xonsh, or activate_this.py. The distinct csh prompt-display token __VIRTUAL_PROMPT_DISPLAY_TCSH__ can instead break the generated script without establishing command execution. The attacker must influence the destination path or --prompt, and a value without a relevant placeholder name does not trigger this mechanism. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.2.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-20
Last Modified
2026-10-20
Generated
2026-10-21
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
pypa virtualenv >= 20.26.6, < 21.14.2

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-94 The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.
CWE-78 The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.

Attack-Flow Graph

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