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CVE-2026-113726GHSA-5VJQ-RRRF-7H2Q

virtualenv activate runs commands from the environment name in zsh with PROMPT_SUBST

Published
Last modified
published
Not listed in CISA KEV
Fix
Fixed in 21.14.4
None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
  • Exploitation: none
  • Automatable: no
  • Technical impact: total

Summary

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.13.0, the bash activate script that zsh also sources leaves the environment name unescaped; from 21.13.0 until 21.14.4, it escapes backslashes, dollar signs, and backticks only when BASH_VERSION is set, so zsh receives the raw value. The script assigns that value to PS1. In zsh with PROMPT_SUBST, an attacker-influenced environment directory, --prompt, or VIRTUALENV_PROMPT value containing command, parameter, or arithmetic expansion syntax can therefore execute commands in the user's shell each time the prompt is drawn. A percent sign is separately interpreted as a zsh prompt escape but does not by itself execute commands. Plain zsh with PROMPT_SUBST disabled and bash are not affected by this mechanism. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.4.

Timeline

  1. CVE published
  2. First seen by cve.now
  3. CISA SSVC assessment

    Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total

  4. Record last updated

Affected versions

  • pypa virtualenv

    fixed in 21.14.4

  • virtualenvPyPI

    fixed in 21.14.4

References 3

GitHub · pypa/virtualenv