CVE-2022-26488
HighCVSS 7.0Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Elevated risk71th percentile - higher than 71% of all known CVEs
Summary
In Python before 3.10.3 on Windows, local users can gain privileges because the search path is inadequately secured. The installer may allow a local attacker to add user-writable directories to the system search path. To exploit, an administrator must have installed Python for all users and enabled PATH entries. A non-administrative user can trigger a repair that incorrectly adds user-writable paths into PATH, enabling search-path hijacking of other users and system services. This affects Python (CPython) through 3.7.12, 3.8.x through 3.8.12, 3.9.x through 3.9.10, and 3.10.x through 3.10.2.
Risk Assessment
Risk of local privilege escalation, which may allow an attacker to take control of the system or services.
Recommendation
Update Python to version 3.10.3 or later, or if not possible, apply a workaround by manually securing the PATH.
Other vulnerabilities in Python
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- CVE-2022-42919High
A vulnerability in Python 3.9.x before 3.9.16 and 3.10.x before 3.10.9 on Linux allows local privilege escalation in a non-default configuration. The multiprocessing library with the forkserver start method permits pickle deserialization from any user on the same local network of the machine.
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In Python before 3.9.5, the ipaddress library mishandles leading zero characters in the octets of an IP address string. This (in some situations) allows attackers to bypass access control that is based on IP addresses.
- CVE-2020-27619Critical
In Python 3 through 3.9.0, the Lib/test/multibytecodec_support.py CJK codec tests call eval() on content retrieved via HTTP. This may lead to arbitrary code execution if the content is crafted.
- CVE-2020-26116High
http.client in Python 3.x before 3.5.10, 3.6.x before 3.6.12, 3.7.x before 3.7.9, and 3.8.x before 3.8.5 allows CRLF injection if the attacker controls the HTTP request method, e.g., by inserting CR and LF control characters in the first argument of HTTPConnection.request.
Original NVD description (English source)
In Python before 3.10.3 on Windows, local users can gain privileges because the search path is inadequately secured. The installer may allow a local attacker to add user-writable directories to the system search path. To exploit, an administrator must have installed Python for all users and enabled PATH entries. A non-administrative user can trigger a repair that incorrectly adds user-writable paths into PATH, enabling search-path hijacking of other users and system services. This affects Python (CPython) through 3.7.12, 3.8.x through 3.8.12, 3.9.x through 3.9.10, and 3.10.x through 3.10.2.
Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS

