Requests has Insecure Temp File Reuse in its extract_zipped_paths() utility function

Exploitation

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

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-25645: 0.19% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 8.65 (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.

Impact The requests.utils.extractzippedpaths() utility function uses a predictable filename when extracting files from zip archives into the system temporary directory. If the target file already exists, it is reused without validation. A local attacker with write access to the temp directory could pre-create a malicious file that would be loaded in place of the legitimate one. Affected usages Standard usage of the Requests library is not affected by this vulnerability. Only applications that call extractzippedpaths() directly are impacted. Remediation Upgrade to at least Requests 2.33.0, where the library now extracts files to a non-deterministic location. If developers are unable to upgrade, they can set TMPDIR in their environment to a directory with restricted write access.

Published by the source

25 Mar 2026, 16:56 UTC

Last modified by the source

10 Sep 2026, 03:50 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:40 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-25645

Advisory: Requests has Insecure Temp File Reuse in its extract_zipped_paths() utility function
IDs: CVE-2026-25645, GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-25645 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:40 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 4.4)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: requests 2.33.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI requests: affected < 2.33.0; fixed in 2.33.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show requests`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.

## 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 requests.
- 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://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2 (OSV record GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2 lists affected ranges: PyPI requests >=0 <2.33.0 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-gc5v-m9x4-r6x2 lists affected ranges: PyPI requests >=0 <2.33.0)

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