---
id: CVE-2026-113732
title: >-
  virtualenv activate.fish runs commands from a path or prompt with a backslash
  before a quote
summary: >-
  virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior
  to 21.14.2, FishActivator inherits ViaTemplateActivator.quote(), which uses
  POSIX shlex.quote() even though fish interprets backslashes and single quotes
  diffe…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-78
  - CWE-116
vendor: pypa
product: virtualenv
affected:
  - virtualenv < 21.14.2
published: '2026-10-20'
updated: '2026-10-20'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-20T22:01:23.931Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-113732'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-c947-3pg5-gm8q'
    label: 'https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-c947-3pg5-gm8q'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/3bddeaf8d02c3ee7f576503efb082f8f494cfcab
    label: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/3bddeaf8d02c3ee7f576503efb082f8f494cfcab
  - url: 'https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.2'
    label: 'https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/releases/tag/21.14.2'
tags:
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-20T22:23:33.690Z'
---

## Overview

virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. Prior to 21.14.2, FishActivator inherits ViaTemplateActivator.quote(), which uses POSIX shlex.quote() even though fish interprets backslashes and single quotes differently. An attacker-influenced environment path, --prompt, or VIRTUALENV_PROMPT value containing a backslash before a quote can therefore terminate the generated fish literal and execute command substitution when the user sources activate.fish. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.2.

## Affected

- `virtualenv < 21.14.2`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.