CVE-2026-113724: virtualenv · Deletion recovery can change a symlink target's mode
Affects virtualenvSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.5 Medium : upgrade to 21.14.9 when convenient.
Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 14:41 UTC
Thin evidence
One scorer or none| CNA (GitHub_M) | CVSS 3.1 | 4.5 |
|---|
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 21.14.9
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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 virtualenv to 21.14.9.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Bitnamivirtualenvpkg:bitnami/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.
AI-suggested
Upgrade virtualenv to version 21.14.9 or later, where this issue is fixed. No other mitigation is required as the patch fully addresses the vulnerability.
Description
A vulnerability in virtualenv prior to version 21.14.9 allows a symlink target's mode to be changed during deletion recovery. The safe_delete() function's error handler follows symlinks and applies owner-write permissions, which can unintentionally widen write access to a target file owned by the user. This occurs if a symlink is planted inside a read-only directory, potentially making the target broadly writable before the deletion retry fails. The issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.
References
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/2bfdc0230d1b2685fedfcfe66c835b9a2ec7c440 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3427 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-43mp-35q3-x3fq (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-113724 (opens in a new tab)