pipx · filelock ReadWriteLock: SQLite reopens the lock database by name, so a planted symlink or journal file makes the lock
Affects pipxSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High : upgrade to 1.18.4 soon.
Data as of 27 Oct 2026, 23:28 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 1.18.4
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade pipx to 1.18.4.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Homebrewpipxpkg:brew/pipxOther 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 fix is available in pipx version 1.18.4. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. Additionally, restricting directory permissions to include the sticky bit (e.g., 1777 for shared directories like /tmp) and avoiding writable directories without sticky bit for lock databases can reduce the attack surface. Kernel settings fs.protected_regular and fs.protected_hardlinks can also help mitigate the issue by restricting file access in shared directories. No other specific actions are required once patched.
Description
CVE-2026-112940 affects the filelock library's ReadWriteLock and AsyncReadWriteLock components that use SQLite for locking. On Linux systems with /proc mounted, SQLite reopens lock database files by name, following symlinks and acting on side files such as -journal, -wal, and -shm. A local attacker with write access to the directory containing the lock database can exploit this to cause the lock user to overwrite or unlink files with the lock user's privileges. This requires the directory to be writable without the sticky bit, such as a 0777 or group-writable directory without sticky bit. The vulnerability is present in filelock versions 3.20.4 through 4.2.0, with the /proc/self/fd redirect introduced in 4.0.9 and side-file variants since 3.20.4. The issue can cause high integrity and availability impact but no confidentiality loss. A fix is available in version 1.18.4 of the affected product pipx.
References
- github.com/tox-dev/filelock/security/advisories/GHSA-v4x8-3wr5-3wq8 (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-112940 (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)