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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2026-113724

virtualenv: Deletion recovery can change a symlink target's mode

Published Oct 20, 2026 · catalog updated Oct 22, 2026 · virtualenv: Deletion recovery can

Last checked Nov 6, 2026. A connected source was read within the last 7 days.

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-113724. EPSS is 0.20%. Act only if a listed version of virtualenv: Deletion recovery can is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • The stored product name is a package slug. The name on this page is taken from the title (virtualenv: Deletion recovery can).
  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
Severity
Medium4.5
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.20%
Remediation
Version ranges on file
Affected products
package pip · pip virtualenv

## Summary The deletion error handler obtains permission bits with lstat() but applies them through chmod(), which follows symlinks. On an eligible unlink failure this can change permissions outside the destination. Anthropic's OSS Scanner reported this as in , received on 15 October 2026. ## Affected area Permission recovery after a filesystem deletion error. ## Attacker-controlled input A deletion must fail on a symbolic-link entry and enter the permission-recovery branch. The invoking user must have permission to change the target mode. This is conditional error handling, not the normal successful unlink path. ## Affected code The relevant 21.14.8 source is in [safe_delete()](https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/blob/a795ab116356afde11039cf2763d77e8a06da738/src/virtualenv/util/path/_sync.py). ## Mechanism asks to retry a failed removal after adding owner-write permission. Its error handler calls for mode bits but to apply them. For a symlink, reads the link's mode while follows the link. A link inside a read-only directory can therefore cause the target's mode to become before the retry fails. The target must be owned by the invoking user and initially not writable by that user; root does not reach this failure path. ## Reproduction and evidence The scanner packed a project containing a mode- directory and a symlink inside it pointing to the user's mode- . An unprivileged user unpacked it and ran both plain and . Both commands exited with naming the directory inside , while the key's mode changed from to . A control archive with a writable directory completed normally and left the key at . The read-only mode survives or ; a normal git clone does not preserve this setup. This changes permissions; it does not read the target or complete the virtualenv operation. Another account can use the widened mode only if it can traverse the target's parent directories. The scanner dates the active error handler to #3222, first released in 21.7.5. [PR #3427](https://github.com/p

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • package pipversion unspecified
  • pip virtualenv< 21.14.9

How to fix CVE-2026-113724

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-113724. EPSS is 0.20%. Act only if a listed version of virtualenv: Deletion recovery can is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with < 21.14.9. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-59: Link Following. EPSS 0.20%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Oct 21, 2026 · GitHub Advisory Database

    Detected

    ## Summary The deletion error handler obtains permission bits with lstat() but applies them through chmod(), which follows symlinks. On an eligible unlink failure this can change permissions outside the destination. Anthropic's OSS Scanner reported this as in , received on 15 October 2026. ## Affected area Permission recovery after a filesystem deletion error. ## Attacker-controlled input A deleti

  2. Oct 21, 2026 · GitHub Advisory Database

    Updated

    ## Summary The deletion error handler obtains permission bits with lstat() but applies them through chmod(), which follows symlinks. On an eligible unlink failure this can change permissions outside the destination. Anthropic's OSS Scanner reported this as in , received on 15 October 2026. ## Affected area Permission recovery after a filesystem deletion error. ## Attacker-controlled input A deleti

  3. Oct 22, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    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 th

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-113724

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-113724

    30-day exploitation probability 0.20%

    first.org
  • GitHub Advisory DatabasePackage advisoryGHSA-43mp-35q3-x3fq

    virtualenv: Deletion recovery can change a symlink target's mode

    github.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-113724

    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 s

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Snyk Vulnerability DatabasePackage advisorySNYK-PYTHON-VIRTUALENV-21282510

    Symlink Attack

    security.snyk.io

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Nov 6, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.

  • FIRST EPSSNov 6, 2026
  • Snyk Vulnerability DatabaseOct 23, 2026
  • CVE.orgOct 23, 2026
  • NIST NVDOct 22, 2026
  • GitHub Advisory DatabaseOct 22, 2026