Skip to main content
No exploitation reportedFix available

CVE-2019-20916

No exploitation reported by the sources we read.

  • Published2020-09-04
  • WeaknessCWE-22

Am I affected?

With a domain, we read the version its public headers and pages expose. A distribution build can carry the fix under an older number.

Description

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.

Timeline

dates in UTC
  1. 2020-09-0420:15CVE publishedNVD

Versions per branch

NVD
Opensuse leap
BranchAffectedFixed in
15.1= 15.1no fix published
15.2= 15.2no fix published
Oracle communications cloud native core network function cloud native environment
BranchAffectedFixed in
1.10= 1.10.0no fix published
22.1= 22.1.0no fix published
Debian debian linux
BranchAffectedFixed in
9.0= 9.0no fix published

2 more products in the sources.

as publishedRanges as NVD and OSV publish them; a distribution’s build can be fixed under an older number.

Distribution builds and vendor advisories

Packages from OSV.dev and products from the vendors' CSAF advisories.

version not verifiedVersions not verified: read as OSV.dev and the vendors publish them, not checked against each vendor's release list.

Packages

  • babelRocky Linux:8all versions · fixed in 0:2.5.1-9.module+el8.4.0+403+9ae17a31
  • babelRed Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamall versions · fixed in 0:2.5.1-9.module+el8.1.0+3111+de3f2d8eand 1 other package
  • CythonRocky Linux:8all versions · fixed in 0:0.28.1-7.module+el8.4.0+403+9ae17a31
  • CythonRocky Linux:8all versions · fixed in 0:0.28.1-7.module+el8.5.0+706+735ec4b3
  • CythonRed Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamall versions · fixed in 0:0.28.1-7.module+el8.1.0+3111+de3f2d8eand 3 other packages
  • pipTuxCare:PyPIfrom 9.0 · fixed in 9.0.post1+tuxcare
  • pipRoot:PyPIall versions · fixed in 9.0.3+aikido.1
  • pytestRocky Linux:8all versions · fixed in 0:3.4.2-13.module+el8.4.0+403+9ae17a31

382 more package ranges on OSV.dev

Vendor advisories

  • CVE-2019-20916 Red Hat Product Security510 products fixed · 2 known affected

    python-pip: directory traversal in _download_http_url() function in src/pip/_internal/download.py

    python-pip.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 · python3-pip as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

  • RHSA-2022:5234 Red Hat Product Security8 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: python-virtualenv security update

  • RHSA-2020:4654 Red Hat Product Security264 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: python27:2.7 security update

  • RHSA-2020:4432 Red Hat Product Security4 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: python-pip security update

  • RHSA-2020:4273 Red Hat Product Security100 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: python27 security, bug fix, and enhancement update

  • RHSA-2020:4285 Red Hat Product Security134 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: rh-python36 security, bug fix, and enhancement update

Full record on NVD

Fix

  1. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2022:5234 · 8 productsFor details on how to apply this update, which includes the changes described in this advisory, refer to: https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258
  2. Workaround from the vendor Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2022:5234 · 8 productsAvoid downloading or installing packages from potentially malicious servers via the command-line "pip download" or "pip install".
  3. No fix planned, says the vendor Red Hat Product Security CVE-2019-20916 · 2 productsWill not fix

Advisories and patches

Detection

Nuclei template
none so far
ProjectDiscovery
Exploit-DB
no entry
Exploit-DB
Proof of concept
Metasploit modules
none listed
Metasploit Framework

Sources

Identifiers

Technical details

CVSS v3 Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Published
2020-09-04
Last Modified
2026-06-17
NVD status
Modified
GitHub Advisory
GHSA-gpvv-69j7-gwj8

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-20916?

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.

Is CVE-2019-20916 actively exploited?

Active exploitation of CVE-2019-20916 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 3.0% on 2026-11-08, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2019-20916?

CVE-2019-20916 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (HIGH severity), with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.

Running pip? Hear about its next vulnerability

Surveillance reads the versions in your stack — a domain, a lockfile or a list — checks each CVE against the ranges its sources publish, and alerts you when one you run is exploited or enters CISA KEV. A version it cannot read stays « version not verified ».

Get alerts for this productCISA KEV additions, November 2026Search CVEs

No credit card required · No monthly cap on website lookups · 250 API requests/month

Go further

Related vulnerabilities

Same product first, then the same vendor advisory and the same publication week.

Back to CVE Database

Sources for this record