Path Traversal in pip
Published Sep 4, 2020 · Updated Oct 23, 2026 · Also known as PYSEC-2020-173, GHSA-gpvv-69j7-gwj8
Original summary
Normalized public record · Updated Oct 23, 2026
Path Traversal in pip
Publisher and source text is retained separately from QFinch interpretation.
QFinch assessment
The pip package before 19.2 for Python allows Directory Traversal when a URL is given in an install command, because a Content-Disposition header can have ../ in a filename, as demonstrated by overwriting the /root/.ssh/authorized_keys file. This occurs in _download_http_url in _internal/download.py. A fix was committed 6704f2ace.
Evidence: public source recordsAffected products
| Affected package, product or range | Fix status |
|---|---|
| Consult the referenced vendor advisory for affected versions. | Consult source advisory |
Matching a version is only one part of assessing exposure. QFinch has not assessed your environment on this public page.
Remediation
Apply the vendor-supported fixed release or mitigation, then verify the affected component is no longer reachable.
- Confirm the affected product and reachable code path exist in your environment.
- Apply the vendor-supported patch or mitigation from the primary advisory.
- Rescan the exact deployed revision and retain verification evidence.
Evidence coverage
- SSVC priority
- MEDIUM
- Confidence
- 10%
- Aliases
- PYSEC-2020-173, GHSA-gpvv-69j7-gwj8
Scores appear only when corresponding evidence exists. Missing data is never interpreted as zero risk.
Sources and record history
- GitHub advisory ↗
- Patch commit ↗
- Source repository ↗
- [debian-lts-announce] 20200911 [SECURITY] [DLA 2370-1] python-pip security update ↗
- openSUSE-SU-2020:1598 ↗
- openSUSE-SU-2020:1613 ↗
- www.oracle.com ↗
- www.oracle.com ↗
Record history
Published Sep 4, 2020 · Last refreshed Oct 23, 2026