virtualenv: Seed replacement does not contain metadata deletion paths

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

4.5 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

EPSS

• CVE-2026-113719: 0.20% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 10.37 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary The app-data seeder joins paths from existing distribution metadata to site-packages and deletes the resulting paths without checking containment within the environment. Anthropic's OSS Scanner reported this as `ANT-2026-SXOEHWP7` in `virtualenv-20261015-005`, received on 15 October 2026.

Affected area Removal of a previously installed seed package.

Attacker-controlled input An environment being reused must contain distribution metadata influenced by another account. The invoking user must have deletion rights over the paths named by that metadata. Installing a new environment without existing package metadata does not enter this cleanup path.

Affected code The relevant 21.14.8 source is in seed uninstall.

Mechanism Before reinstalling a seed wheel, `PipInstall._uninstall_previous_version()` accepts an existing…

Published by the source

23 Oct 2026, 22:19 UTC

Last modified by the source

29 Oct 2026, 10:56 UTC

Source last checked

30 Oct 2026, 07:20 UTC

1. Revision 5 · amended · 30 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record BIT-virtualenv-2026-113719

2. Revision 4 · amended · 30 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx

3. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx

4. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx

5. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-113719

Advisory: virtualenv: Seed replacement does not contain metadata deletion paths
IDs: CVE-2026-113719, GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-113719 (revision 5, source checked 30 Oct 2026, 07:20 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 4.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: virtualenv 21.14.9; virtualenv 21.14.9. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI virtualenv: affected < 21.14.9; fixed in 21.14.9
- Bitnami virtualenv: affected < 21.14.9; fixed in 21.14.9

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show virtualenv`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.
- Bitnami virtualenv: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on virtualenv.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx lists affected ranges: PyPI virtualenv >=0 <21.14.9)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx (OSV record GHSA-hhxq-47xx-j5xx lists affected ranges: PyPI virtualenv >=0 <21.14.9 (fixed))
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/BIT-virtualenv-2026-113719 (OSV record BIT-virtualenv-2026-113719 lists affected ranges: Bitnami virtualenv >=0 <21.14.9 (fixed))

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