CVE-2026-113725
published 2026-10-20CVE-2026-113725: virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.7, the bash activate script escapes the environment name for only one of…
PriorityP339high7.8CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRNUIRSUCHIHAH
EPSS
0.19%
8.9th percentile
virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.7, the bash activate script escapes the environment name for only one of the two passes bash makes over PS1, so a backslash in the name undoes the escaping and a name containing \$(...) runs as commands in the user's shell each time bash draws the prompt. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.7.
Affected
25 ranges
| Vendor | Product | Version range | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| ansible-automation-platform-26 | controller-rhel9 | — | — |
| ansible-automation-platform-26 | eda-controller-rhel9 | — | — |
| ansible-automation-platform-26 | lightspeed-chatbot-rhel9 | — | — |
| ansible-automation-platform-27 | controller-rhel9 | — | — |
| ansible-automation-platform-27 | eda-controller-rhel9 | — | — |
| debian | python-virtualenv | — | — |
| devspaces | udi-rhel9 | — | — |
| openshift-lightspeed | lightspeed-service-api-rhel9 | — | — |
| pypa | virtualenv | < 21.14.7 | 21.14.7 |
| rhai-early-access | docling-serve-cuda-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-feature-server-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-kserve-agent-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-kserve-controller-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-kserve-router-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-kserve-storage-initializer-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-ta-lmes-job-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-training-rocm64-torch28-py312-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-trustyai-nemo-guardrails-server-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-workbench-codeserver-datascience-cpu-py312-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-workbench-jupyter-datascience-cpu-py312-rhel9 | — | — |
| rhoai | odh-workbench-jupyter-pytorch-llmcompressor-cuda-py312-rhel9 | — | — |
| satellite | iop-advisor-backend-rhel9 | — | — |
| satellite | iop-host-inventory-rhel9 | — | — |
| satellite | iop-yuptoo-rhel9 | — | — |
| virtualenv | virtualenv | >= 0 < 21.14.7 | 21.14.7 |
CVSS provenance
nvdv3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vendor_redhat7.8HIGH
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Red Hat
virtualenv: virtualenv: arbitrary code execution via crafted environment name
vendor_redhat·2026-10-20·CVSS 7.8
CVE-2026-113725 [HIGH] CWE-78 virtualenv: virtualenv: arbitrary code execution via crafted environment name
virtualenv: virtualenv: arbitrary code execution via crafted environment name
A flaw was found in virtualenv. The bash activation script improperly escapes the virtual environment name when configuring the command prompt. If a user activates a virtual environment created with a specially crafted name, an attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution in the user's shell session each time the prompt is displayed.
Mitigation: --- CME Mitigation Guidance (2026-10-20) ---
Disclaimer: The following mitigation solutions are provided as a courtesy, pending the application of an official patch. This content was generated utilizing AI tools in conjunction with data from https://cmetaxonomy.org. Customers are advised to independently evaluate and test these temporary mitigations within their own in
GHSA
virtualenv bash activate runs commands from an environment name with a backslash before $
ghsa·2026-10-21
CVE-2026-113725 [HIGH] CWE-116 virtualenv bash activate runs commands from an environment name with a backslash before $
virtualenv bash activate runs commands from an environment name with a backslash before $
### Summary
The bash `activate` script escapes the environment name for only one of the two passes bash makes over `PS1`, so a
backslash in the name undoes the escaping and a name containing `\$(...)` runs as commands in the user's shell each
time bash draws the prompt.
### Affected area
`src/virtualenv/activation/bash/activate.sh`, the block that prepends the environment name to `PS1`.
### Attacker-controlled input
The environment name: the environment directory's name, or the `--prompt` or `VIRTUALENV_PROMPT` value. An attacker
needs to influence it, for example through a CI job or wrapper tool that passes a branch, project or job name through,
or a directory in a cloned repository or unpacked
No detection rules found.
No public exploits indexed.
2026-10-20
Published