{"id":"CVE-2026-113726","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"virtualenv activate runs commands from the environment name in zsh with PROMPT_SUBST","description":"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.","publishedAt":"2026-10-20T22:05:24.253Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-27T21:31:29.377Z","severity":{"score":7.8,"label":"High","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"GitHub_M"},"assigner":"GitHub_M","products":["pypa virtualenv"],"affected":[{"vendor":"pypa","product":"virtualenv","versions":[{"version":"< 21.14.4","status":"affected"}]}],"references":["https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-5vjq-rrrf-7h2q","https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/5b915367da82bd024b2a0d28d2f98007034b4aa2","https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.4"],"weaknesses":["CWE-78","CWE-116"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:10:43.281Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/113xxx/CVE-2026-113726.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-113726","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-10-20T22:05:24.253Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-27T21:31:29.377Z","assignerShortName":"GitHub_M","assignerOrgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateReserved":"2026-10-20T16:03:14.863Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"virtualenv activate runs commands from the environment name in zsh with PROMPT_SUBST","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"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."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"pypa","product":"virtualenv","versions":[{"version":"< 21.14.4","status":"affected"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-5vjq-rrrf-7h2q","name":"https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-5vjq-rrrf-7h2q","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM"]},{"url":"https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/5b915367da82bd024b2a0d28d2f98007034b4aa2","name":"https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/5b915367da82bd024b2a0d28d2f98007034b4aa2","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]},{"url":"https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.4","name":"https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.4","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"LOCAL","availabilityImpact":"HIGH","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","userInteraction":"REQUIRED","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-78","lang":"en","description":"CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-116","lang":"en","description":"CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"GitHub_M","orgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateUpdated":"2026-10-20T22:05:24.253Z"},"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-5vjq-rrrf-7h2q","discovery":"UNKNOWN"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-10-27T21:31:18.828865Z","id":"CVE-2026-113726","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-10-27T21:31:29.377Z"}}]}}}