Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2020-15801

In Python 3.8.4, sys.path restrictions specified in a python38._pth file are ignored, allowing code to be loaded from arbitrary locations. The <executable-name>._pth file (e.g., the python._pth file) is not affected.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a CRITICAL severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 3 products from python, from microsoft, from netapp organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Reported in 2020, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.

Published

2020-07-17T03:15:11.330

Last Modified

2024-11-21T05:06:12.630

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: LOW
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
Availability Impact: PARTIAL

Exploitability Score

10.0

Impact Score

6.4

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-426

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	python	python	< 3.7.9	Yes
Application	python	python	< 3.8.5	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows	-	No
Application	netapp	max_data	-	Yes

References

https://bugs.python.org/issue41304 Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21495 Patch, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200731-0003/ Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://bugs.python.org/issue41304 Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21495 Patch, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200731-0003/ Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For python's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.