CVE-2024-53899: Command Injection Vulnerability in virtualenv Before 20.26.6 - Exploit Details, Code Snippets, and Original References

A new security vulnerability, CVE-2024-53899, has been discovered in virtualenv, a popular tool for creating isolated Python environments. Virtualenv versions before 20.26.6 are affected by this vulnerability, which could allow a malicious user to inject and execute arbitrary commands. This post will provide an overview of the vulnerability, its potential impact, and guidance on how to address it, including code snippets, links to original references, and details about the exploit.

Description

The vulnerability in virtualenv lies in the activation scripts used to set up a virtual environment. When activation scripts replace magic template strings, they do not properly quote them, leading to command injection opportunities. As a result, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the target system.

It is important to note that this vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2024-9287, another security issue affecting virtualenv.

`

"; rm -rf /; "

`

$ virtualenv --prompt "; rm -rf /; " evil_env

`

$ source evil_env/bin/activate

`

In this example, the attacker's command would delete all files on the system. In a real-world scenario, attackers could execute other commands that give them unauthorized access to sensitive data or allow them to compromise the system further.

Mitigation

The vulnerability has been addressed in virtualenv version 20.26.6. Users should update their virtualenv installation as soon as possible to protect themselves against this vulnerability:

$ pip install --upgrade virtualenv

After upgrading to the latest version, users should also recreate their virtual environments using the updated virtualenv tool to ensure they no longer contain the vulnerable activation scripts.

The following resources provide additional information about CVE-2024-53899

- Vulnerability Announcement
- virtualenv Changelog
- CVE-2024-53899 Entry on National Vulnerability Database

Conclusion

CVE-2024-53899 is a critical vulnerability that allows command injection through the activation scripts of virtualenv. It affects versions of virtualenv before 20.26.6. Users should upgrade their virtualenv installations and recreate their virtual environments to protect themselves from potential exploits.

Timeline

Published on: 11/24/2024 16:15:06 UTC
Last modified on: 11/26/2024 18:23:09 UTC