Missing digest verification in virtualenv pip seeding with download
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · Low
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-494.
Summary
virtualenv before 21.14.9 is affected. When seeding pip with --download, virtualenv skips its wheel digest check against PyPI metadata (CWE-494), so an index candidate matching the bundled package and version can be selected without that comparison. This applies when a non-PyPI index is used while the index environment variables are left unset. The condition does not by itself defeat TLS or establish control of the index response.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, PipInvoke.get_pip_install_cmd() handles --seeder pip --download by calling get_wheel(download=False) and then allowing pip to consult the configured index, bypassing virtualenv's download_wheel() and verify_wheel_digest() path. When virtualenv's default-index PyPI digest comparison remains enabled, an index candidate matching the bundled package and version can therefore be selected without comparison to PyPI SHA-256 metadata. Explicit custom-index settings already opt out of that comparison and remain outside this verification-bypass claim; the demonstrated configuration used a non-PyPI index while leaving the index environment variables unset so the comparison policy remained active. This condition does not independently defeat TLS or establish control of the index response. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pypa | virtualenv | before 21.14.9 | 21.14.9 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | virtualenv (PyPI) | before 21.14.9 | 21.14.9 | Patch available | GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q |
- virtualenv Vendorpypa Affected before 21.14.9 Fixed in 21.14.9 Patch available CNA
- virtualenv (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 21.14.9 Fixed in 21.14.9 Patch available GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q
Remediation
Upgrade virtualenv to version 21.14.9 on PyPI, which fixes this issue. Red Hat rates it Moderate and lists OpenShift Lightspeed, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2, Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI), Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4, Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces and Red Hat Satellite 6 as affected with no fix plan available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
- Fix · CNA virtualenv (pypa) Fixed in 21.14.9
- Fix · GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q virtualenv (PyPI) Fixed in 21.14.9 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| OpenShift Lightspeed | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Satellite 6 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-20 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-113717
- 2026-10-21 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q
- 2026-10-23 Fix available: PyPI/[email protected] · GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q
- 2026-10-23 CVSS score added · GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q
- 2026-10-23 Weakness changed · GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q
- 2026-10-23 6 new references · GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q
References
More pypa vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-29803 setuptools has a path traversal vulnerability in PackageIndex.download that leads to Arbitrary File Write CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.7
- TI-2024-05888 Remote Code Execution in pypa/setuptools CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-78525 Shell command injection in virtualenv generated POSIX launchers CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2026-78526 Command injection in virtualenv bash activation prompt CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.1
- TI-2026-78521 Code injection in virtualenv Xonsh activation script CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.1
- TI-2026-19377 wheel Allows Arbitrary File Permission Modification via Path Traversal CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-113717 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-113717 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-cx28-75q4-x26q · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-113717 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences