CVE-2026-53940
CreatePythonEntryPointAction in conda/core/path_actions.py interpolated that command into target_short_path, and PrefixPathAction.target_full_path joined it to the installation prefix without verifying that the result remained under the intended bin or…
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.55%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Conda is a system-level binary package and environment manager that runs on major operating systems and platforms. Prior to 26.5.2, parse_entry_point_def in conda/common/path/python.py accepted an unvalidated entry-point command from a noarch:python package's info/link.json metadata. CreatePythonEntryPointAction in conda/core/path_actions.py interpolated that command into target_short_path, and PrefixPathAction.target_full_path joined it to the installation prefix without verifying that the result remained under the intended bin or Scripts directory. create_python_entry_point in conda/gateways/disk/create.py then wrote an executable wrapper to the resulting path. A malicious package could use path separators, traversal segments, or an absolute command path to write outside the prefix or overwrite another in-prefix entry point during default install and environment transactions. Out-of-prefix writes require the target parent directory to exist, while an overwritten entry point can execute attacker-controlled Python when later invoked with the installing user's privileges. This issue is fixed in version 26.5.2.
- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.55% probability · 46th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-22, CWE-73
- Source
- security-advisories@github.com
EPSS moved from 0.4% on 22 September 2026 to 0.5% on 26 October 2026.
References
- https://github.com/conda/conda/commit/3987c86ccd5527177e96b48bd4dc1777dd2c9baa
- https://github.com/conda/conda/pull/16168
- https://github.com/conda/conda/releases/tag/26.5.2
- https://github.com/conda/conda/security/advisories/GHSA-9m8m-c4j3-rj2c
- https://github.com/conda/conda/security/advisories/GHSA-9m8m-c4j3-rj2c
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.