CVE-2026-113716

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, the builtin creator calls ensure_dir() for executable, library, and package directories, and ensure_dir() accepts an existing symlink to a directory because exists() follows it. Interpreter creation, seed installation, and activation generation then write through the linked parent outside the requested destination when another local account prepared the tree and the invoking user can access the target. The --clear option removes the planted tree first, while ordinary creation reaches it; arbitrary attacker-selected output bytes are not established. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.

CVSS 3.1

4.5CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

EPSS

0.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days; higher than 3% of CVEs (scores of 2026-10-25)

CWE

CWE-59

Published

2026-10-20

Modified

2026-10-22

Record from

the NVD, synced 2026-10-23

Packages (OSV)

References

• https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/554d9f9d4f7758f5cf53f993031e29787f1f74c5
• https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3429
• https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9
• https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-cw65-gx24-rc82

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