CVE-2026-102925: virtualenv bash and fish activation scripts execute commands embedded in paths
Affects virtualenvSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 21.7.14 soon.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 21.7.14
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Sep 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 virtualenv to 21.7.14.
Patches and advisories
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Homebrewvirtualenvpkg:brew/virtualenvOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.7.13, the generated activate (bash and zsh) and activate.fish scripts place values already escaped by shlex.quote inside an additional quoted context. In the bash and zsh script, a crafted virtual environment path reaches __VIRTUAL_ENV__ when a relocated environment's recorded directory is absent; in the fish script, crafted Tcl or Tk library paths reach __TCL_LIBRARY__ or __TK_LIBRARY__. The surplus quotes can terminate the data-only quoted run and leave shell metacharacters parsed as commands when a user sources the activation script, allowing code execution with that user's privileges. This issue is fixed in version 21.7.13.
References
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.7.13 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/102xxx/CVE-2026-102925.json (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-p58f-9548-mpm2 (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-102925 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/4d5a105ec2a2723b8c7f4571bb68f4f71d01e3f6 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3252 (opens in a new tab)