BIT-virtualenv-2026-113714

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BIT-virtualenv-2026-113714

Summary: virtualenv: Downloaded wheel selection and caching precede verification

Details: virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.9, download_wheel() writes package-index downloads directly into the reusable wheel/house cache before selecting a verification target from pip's textual Saved output. With default-index digest comparison enabled, a controlled package index can inject a misleading Saved line through a discarded link's data-requires-python attribute; this forged-line variant also requires knowledge of an absolute path to the genuine bundled wheel. The wrong path can then be hashed, while a digest mismatch leaves the rejected archive in the cache for later selection without verification. A separate rejected-cache-file variant requires control over downloaded data or archive selection but not the forged-line prerequisites. Explicit custom-index exceptions are outside the promised PyPI comparison, and the issue does not independently bypass TLS or establish control of default PyPI. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.9.

References: https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/7babec66e043e1cc8bc66869a063653898719d96, https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/pull/3430, https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.9, https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-494p-63j8-28p3, https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-113714