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[GHSA-597g-3phw-6986] virtualenv: align described fixed version with the recorded range (fixed in 20.36.1, not 20.36.2) #9185

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[GHSA-597g-3phw-6986] virtualenv: align described fixed version with the recorded range (fixed in 20.36.1, not 20.36.2) #9185

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion advisories/github-reviewed/2026/01/GHSA-597g-3phw-6986/GHSA-597g-3phw-6986.json
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"CVE-2026-22702"
],
"summary": "virtualenv Has TOCTOU Vulnerabilities in Directory Creation",
"details": "## Impact\n\nTOCTOU (Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use) vulnerabilities in `virtualenv` allow local attackers to perform symlink-based attacks on directory creation operations. An attacker with local access can exploit a race condition between directory existence checks and creation to redirect virtualenv's app_data and lock file operations to attacker-controlled locations.\n\n**Affected versions:** All versions up to and including 20.36.1\n\n**Affected users:** Any user running `virtualenv` on multi-user systems where untrusted local users have filesystem access to shared temporary directories or where `VIRTUALENV_OVERRIDE_APP_DATA` points to a user-writable location.\n\n**Attack scenarios:**\n- Cache poisoning: Attacker corrupts wheels or Python metadata in the cache\n- Information disclosure: Attacker reads sensitive cached data or metadata\n- Lock bypass: Attacker controls lock file semantics to cause concurrent access violations\n- Denial of service: Lock starvation preventing virtualenv operations\n\n## Patches\n\nThe vulnerability has been patched by replacing check-then-act patterns with atomic `os.makedirs(..., exist_ok=True)` operations.\n\n**Fixed in:** PR #3013\n\n**Versions with the fix:** 20.36.2 and later\n\nUsers should upgrade to version 20.36.2 or later.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nIf you cannot upgrade immediately:\n\n1. Ensure `VIRTUALENV_OVERRIDE_APP_DATA` points to a directory owned by the current user with restricted permissions (mode 0700)\n2. Avoid running `virtualenv` in shared temporary directories where other users have write access\n3. Use separate user accounts for different projects to isolate app_data directories\n\n## References\n\n- GitHub PR: https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3013\n- Vulnerability reported by: @tsigouris007\n- CWE-362: Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization (TOCTOU)\n- CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access",
"details": "## Impact\n\nTOCTOU (Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use) vulnerabilities in `virtualenv` allow local attackers to perform symlink-based attacks on directory creation operations. An attacker with local access can exploit a race condition between directory existence checks and creation to redirect virtualenv's app_data and lock file operations to attacker-controlled locations.\n\n**Affected versions:** All versions up to but not including 20.36.1\n\n**Affected users:** Any user running `virtualenv` on multi-user systems where untrusted local users have filesystem access to shared temporary directories or where `VIRTUALENV_OVERRIDE_APP_DATA` points to a user-writable location.\n\n**Attack scenarios:**\n- Cache poisoning: Attacker corrupts wheels or Python metadata in the cache\n- Information disclosure: Attacker reads sensitive cached data or metadata\n- Lock bypass: Attacker controls lock file semantics to cause concurrent access violations\n- Denial of service: Lock starvation preventing virtualenv operations\n\n## Patches\n\nThe vulnerability has been patched by replacing check-then-act patterns with atomic `os.makedirs(..., exist_ok=True)` operations.\n\n**Fixed in:** PR #3013\n\n**Versions with the fix:** 20.36.1 and later\n\nUsers should upgrade to version 20.36.1 or later.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nIf you cannot upgrade immediately:\n\n1. Ensure `VIRTUALENV_OVERRIDE_APP_DATA` points to a directory owned by the current user with restricted permissions (mode 0700)\n2. Avoid running `virtualenv` in shared temporary directories where other users have write access\n3. Use separate user accounts for different projects to isolate app_data directories\n\n## References\n\n- GitHub PR: https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3013\n- Vulnerability reported by: @tsigouris007\n- CWE-362: Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization (TOCTOU)\n- CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access",
"severity": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
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