CVE-2019-20916

Name: CVE-2019-20916
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-09-04T20:15:11.013+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 3.00%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-20916 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. 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.. EPSS estimates a 3.00% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS Probability

3.00%

85.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-22

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Pypa	Pip	< 19.2
Opensuse	Leap	15.1
Opensuse	Leap	15.2
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Network Function Cloud Native Environment	1.10.0
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Network Function Cloud Native Environment	22.1.0
Oracle	Communications Cloud Native Core Policy	1.15.0

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00005.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00010.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/gzpan123/pip/commit/a4c735b14a62f9cb864533808ac63936704f2acePatch
https://github.com/pypa/pip/compare/19.1.1...19.2Patch
https://github.com/pypa/pip/issues/6413Exploit, Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00010.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00005.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-10/msg00010.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/gzpan123/pip/commit/a4c735b14a62f9cb864533808ac63936704f2acePatch
https://github.com/pypa/pip/compare/19.1.1...19.2Patch
https://github.com/pypa/pip/issues/6413Exploit, Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00010.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 4, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-20916?

How severe is CVE-2019-20916?

CVE-2019-20916 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.00% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-20916?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2019-20916?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST