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5.3
CVE-2026-12003EXPLOITEDPATCHED
python software foundation · python

CPython >3.11 Insecure Input Validation resulting in privilege escalation

Description

To allow builds of Python to be run from an in-tree layout (rather than an installed file layout), the VPATH variable is defined at build time and used to locate certain landmarks - specifically, Modules/setup.local. When this landmark is found relative to VPATH relative to the executable, Python assumes it is running in a source tree and generates a different default sys.path. This code remains in release builds, so that release-ready builds can be built in-tree. On Windows, since builds are written to 'PCbuild/', the value of VPATH is set to '..\..', which results in a landmark of '..\..\Modules\setup.local'. This path is outside the install directory of Python, and may have different permissions, potentially allowing a low-privilege user to create the landmark and an alternative `Lib` folder that will be discovered by an otherwise restricted install. Such a setup occurs with the legacy default install location for all users (in the now superseded EXE installer), due to how Windows allows all users to create folders in the root directory of their OS drive. Our recommended mitigation on Windows is to migrate away from the legacy installer and use the new [Python install manager](https://www.python.org/downloads/latest/pymanager/) to install for the current user. Installs where the directory two levels above the Python installation directory have equivalent permissions are unaffected (in general, a per-user install cannot be modified at all by other users, removing any escalation of privilege risk, and could be directly modified by a privileged user, making the potential tampering irrelevant). Alternative mitigations might include preemptively creating and restricting access to a `Modules` directory. Be aware that only 3.13 and 3.14 will receive updated legacy installers - earlier fixes are only provided as sources. Platforms other than Windows allow VPATH to be overridden, but as they don't usually use a separated directory in the build for binaries, are unlikely to have a landmark reference outside of the install directory. The landmark detection involving VPATH is a fallback for when a more specific landmark - .\pybuilddir.txt - is absent, and was included for compatibility. Future releases of Python will no longer include the fallback, and so builds will need to generate or preserve the pybuilddir.txt file in order to work in-tree. This landmark file has been generated on Windows since 3.11, and on other platforms for longer.

Affected Products

VendorProductVersions
python software foundationpython0

Also Affects

Downstream vendors/products affected by this vulnerability

VendorProductSourceConfidence
open sourcepythoncert_advisory90%

References

  • https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/151545(patch)
  • https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/151544(issue-tracking)
  • https://https://mail.python.org/archives/list/security-announce@python.org/thread/JIFOBO7UX3LY4VJKJUOKYJV62CFR2IRH/(vendor-advisory)
  • https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/16c40f944b7bff724a403cf4902763d095bb4b2a(patch)
  • https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/9e863fab283eddca9c2a8f9d1ee30f4dc243e314(patch)
  • https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/a86de0bc236fbb9452f98998fc8437e9fca35700(patch)
  • https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/b93d6d3399adbd3a5037b6b92fc3587c85ac5d56(patch)

Related News (5 articles)

Tier A
Microsoft MSRC2h ago
CVE-2026-12003 CPython >3.11 Insecure Input Validation resulting in privilege escalation
→ No new info (linked only)
Tier B
CERT-FR6d ago
Vulnérabilité dans CPython pour Windows (22 juin 2026)
→ No new info (linked only)
Tier B
BSI Advisories11d ago
[NEU] [mittel] CPython: Mehrere Schwachstellen
→ No new info (linked only)
Tier C
VulDB11d ago
CVE-2026-12003 | Python CPython up to 3.14.x on Windows Installation Directory Modules/setup.local VPATH uncontrolled search path (ID 151544)
→ No new info (linked only)
Tier C
oss-security11d ago
[oss-security][CVE-2026-12003] CPython In-tree (development) search paths can be enabled without modifying install directory
→ No new info (linked only)
CVSS 3.15.3 NONE
CISA KEV❌ No
Actively exploited✅ Yes
Patch available
latest security patch
CWECWE-427
PublishedJun 16, 2026
Last enriched5d agov4
Tags
CVE-2026-12003
Trending Score67
Source articles5
Independent5
Info Completeness10/14
Missing: epss, kev, iocs, mitre_attack

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Verification

State: unverified
Confidence: 0%

Vulnerability Timeline

CVE Published
Jun 16, 2026
Discovered by ZDM
Jun 16, 2026
Updated: severity, cvssEstimate, affectedVersions, exploitAvailable, activelyExploited, tags
Jun 16, 2026
Updated: description, affectedVersions, severity, patchAvailable
Jun 16, 2026
Updated: affectedVersions, severity, patchAvailable
Jun 22, 2026
Actively Exploited
Jun 23, 2026
Exploit Available
Jun 23, 2026
Patch Available
Jun 23, 2026

Version History

v4
Last enriched 5d ago
v4Tier B5d ago

Updated affected versions to include 3.11.x to 3.15.x, changed severity to HIGH, and noted that a latest security patch is available.

affectedVersionsseveritypatchAvailable
via CERT-FR
v3Tier C11d ago

Updated description with new details, changed severity to HIGH, and noted that no exploit exists.

descriptionaffectedVersionsseveritypatchAvailable
via VulDB
v2Tier C11d ago

Updated severity to MEDIUM, added CVSS estimate of 5.3, and included affected versions 3.11.15 and 3.12.13.

severitycvssEstimateaffectedVersionsexploitAvailableactivelyExploitedtags
via oss-security
v111d ago

Initial creation