---
id: CVE-2026-113776
title: >-
  virtualenv activation scripts run code from a path that contains a placeholder
  name
summary: >-
  virtualenv is a tool for creating isolated virtual python environments. From
  20.26.6 until 21.14.2, ViaTemplateActivator.instantiate_template() replaces
  placeholders one key at a time across the complete activation template, so
  trigger n…
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-94
vendor: pypa
product: virtualenv
affected:
  - 'virtualenv >= 20.26.6, < 21.14.2'
published: '2026-10-20'
updated: '2026-10-20'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-20T22:03:18.274Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-113776'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-8rjx-v5ww-45pp'
    label: 'https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/security/advisories/GHSA-8rjx-v5ww-45pp'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/602b26623a724827ff171bf11fef4ad186d01f74
    label: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/commit/602b26623a724827ff171bf11fef4ad186d01f74
  - 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. From 20.26.6 until 21.14.2, ViaTemplateActivator.instantiate_template() replaces placeholders one key at a time across the complete activation template, so trigger names such as __VIRTUAL_NAME__, __VIRTUAL_ENV__, or __VIRTUAL_PROMPT__ inside an already substituted and quoted environment path or prompt can be replaced during a later pass. The later value's quoting can close the earlier literal and execute the remaining path when a user activates the environment through bash, fish, xonsh, or activate_this.py. The distinct csh prompt-display token __VIRTUAL_PROMPT_DISPLAY_TCSH__ can instead break the generated script without establishing command execution. The attacker must influence the destination path or --prompt, and a value without a relevant placeholder name does not trigger this mechanism. This issue is fixed in version 21.14.2.

## Affected

- `virtualenv >= 20.26.6, < 21.14.2`

## Remediation

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