CVE Tools
Sign in

CVE-2026-22702

virtualenv Has TOCTOU Vulnerabilities in Directory Creation

Published: Jan 10, 2026Updated: Feb 18, 2026 Sources: CVE List NVD GHSACWE-59
4.5MEDIUM
NVD MITRE
EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 99.5%
CISA KEV
Not in KEV
Exploits
No Known Exploits
Remediation
Patch Available
Self-Check
OpenVAS

Description

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to version 20.36.1, TOCTOU (Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use) vulnerabilities in virtualenv allow local attackers to perform symlink-based attacks on directory creation operations. An attacker with local access can exploit a race condition between directory existence checks and creation to redirect virtualenv's app_data and lock file operations to attacker-controlled locations. This issue has been patched in version 20.36.1.

No summary for this CVE yet.

CVSS Vector Breakdown

AV:LAC:HPR:LUI:NS:UC:LI:LA:L
Exploitability
AV:LAttack Vector
Local
AC:HAttack Complexity
High
PR:LPrivileges Required
Low
UI:NUser Interaction
None
Scope
S:UScope
Unchanged
Impact
C:LConfidentiality
Low
I:LIntegrity
Low
A:LAvailability
Low
Open in CVSS calculator →

Weaknesses

CWE-59CWE-362

Affected Products

virtualenv
oss-projectaka virtualenv.org
virtualenvLibrary
OSS Libraries / pypi
PyPI
package-ecosystem
virtualenv
OSS Libraries
pypa
oss-projectaka pip, pipenv, pypa/setuptools
virtualenvLibrary
OSS Libraries / pypi

Exploitability

Official Patch Available
Workaround Available
Is your org exposed to CVE-2026-22702?We can run the check for you — a free external exposure review, no install. Check my exposure

Attack Graph

Products CVE Techniques Tactics

Click technique nodes for MITRE ATT&CK details · drag to pan · Ctrl/⌘ + scroll to zoom, or go fullscreen.

MITRE ATT&CK

3 techniques
Collection
Discovery
Privilege Escalation
View detailed technique mapping

References

https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/dec4cec5d16edaf83a00a658f32d1e032661cebc
github.com
https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3013
github.com
https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-597g-3phw-6986
github.com
and 2 more references View all →

Unlock Complete Vulnerability Intelligence

Get the full picture for CVE-2026-22702 and every CVE in our database. Create a free account — no credit card required.

Create Free Account
Plain-language analysis
Impact assessment and exploitation scenario in plain English
Attack graph visualization
Interactive attack path and kill chain mapping
Exploit details & PoC links
ExploitDB, Metasploit, GitHub PoCs with direct links
Nuclei scanner templates
Ready-to-use vulnerability scanner templates
Full remediation guide
Patch instructions, workarounds, and compliance impact
Interactive AI chat
Ask questions about this vulnerability in natural language
Related vulnerabilities
Semantically similar CVEs and attack patterns
REST API & MCP access
Integrate vulnerability data into your workflows