virtualenvwrapper · filelock: ReadWriteLock on the hard-link route deletes any directory another user renames onto its .filelock-* link
Affects virtualenvwrapperSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.1 Medium : upgrade to 6.1.1_4 when convenient.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 5% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.1.1_4
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:LExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade virtualenvwrapper to 6.1.1_4.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Homebrewvirtualenvwrapperpkg:brew/virtualenvwrapperOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A patch is available in virtualenvwrapper version 6.1.1_4 that fixes this vulnerability. Users should upgrade to this fixed version to remediate the issue. Until patched, ensure that directories containing lock databases are not writable by other users and have the sticky bit set to prevent unauthorized renames. Restrict write permissions on parent directories to trusted users only. No other mitigation is required once the patch is applied.
Description
A vulnerability in filelock versions 4.1.0 through 4.2.0 allows a local user with write permission on the directory holding the lock database to rename directories and cause the lock user's process to recursively delete arbitrary directories. This occurs because the ReadWriteLock and AsyncReadWriteLock implementations remove private .filelock-* link directories without verifying that the path still points to the originally created directory. The issue affects macOS since version 4.1.1 and POSIX environments without a usable /proc/self/fd, such as chroots or containers without /proc mounted. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium) and results in high integrity impact by enabling deletion of directories owned by the lock user without error reporting.
References
- github.com/tox-dev/filelock/security/advisories/GHSA-jqc4-5cvw-7w85 (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-112937 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/tox-dev/filelock/pull/834 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/tox-dev/filelock/commit/5e3f2ec0c5fb17cb2635b60b2b68bc63ab81ca2d (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/tox-dev/filelock (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/tox-dev/filelock/releases/tag/4.2.1 (opens in a new tab)