virtualenv: Command injection via --prompt in activate.bat (batch activator) (pypa virtualenv)
At a glance
- Source
- NVD
- EPSS
- EPSS 0.21 % · percentile 11 ()
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- Updated
- Assigner
- GitHub_M
- NVD status
- Awaiting Analysis
Description
virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.7.12, BatchActivator.quote() returns prompt text unchanged before activate.bat inserts it into a cmd.exe set "VAR=value" statement. An attacker who influences --prompt, VIRTUALENV_PROMPT, or the corresponding configuration value can include a double quote that closes the assignment and leaves following cmd.exe operators as executable syntax. When a user activates the generated Windows environment, the injected commands run with that user's privileges. This issue is fixed in version 21.7.12.
Weaknesses (CWE)
- CWE-78 — Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command
References
Scores
| Version | Score | Vector | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH 7.3 | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N | GitHub_M |
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH 7.3 | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X | NVD · security-advisories@github.com (Secondary) |
Advisories
- GHSA-x78j-v8h9-3j2q — virtualenv: Command injection via --prompt in activate.bat (batch activator)
- PYSEC-2026-4014 — Command injection via --prompt in activate.bat (batch activator)
European references
- ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-89464
- GCVE · GCVE-0-2026-102937
Affected products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| pypa · virtualenv | affected < 21.7.12 |
Sources
| Source | Licence |
|---|---|
| CVE List (CVEProject cvelistV5) | CVE Program Terms of Use |
| EPSS (FIRST.org) | FIRST — attribution requested |
| ENISA EUVD | ENISA — reproduction authorised, source acknowledged |
| NVD (NIST) via fkie-cad/nvd-json-data-feeds | Public domain — this product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD |