Uncontrolled Search Path Element Affecting python/cpython package, versions [,3.15.0b3)
Threat Intelligence
The probability is the direct output of the EPSS model, and conveys an overall sense of the threat of exploitation in the wild. The percentile measures the EPSS probability relative to all known EPSS scores. Note: This data is updated daily, relying on the latest available EPSS model version. Check out the EPSS documentation for more details.
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Test your applications- Snyk IDSNYK-UNMANAGED-PYTHONCPYTHON-17845237
- published6 Jul 2026
- disclosed16 Jun 2026
- creditUnknown
Introduced: 16 Jun 2026
CVE-2026-12003 (opens in a new tab)How to fix?
Upgrade python/cpython to version 3.15.0b3 or higher.
Overview
Affected versions of this package are vulnerable to Uncontrolled Search Path Element via the VPATH process used during build and installation on Windows platforms. An attacker can gain elevated privileges by creating a malicious Modules/setup.local file and an alternative Lib directory outside the intended installation directory, which may be discovered and loaded by the interpreter if directory permissions allow such manipulation. This is only exploitable if the installation uses the legacy EXE installer for all users and the directory two levels above the Python installation directory is writable by low-privilege users.
Workaround
This vulnerability can be mitigated by migrating to the new Python install manager for per-user installations or by preemptively creating and restricting access to the Modules directory.