CVE-2020-15801

Severity: critical (CVSS 9.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 3.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2020-07-17 · updated 2026-10-14
Weakness: CWE-426

Description

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.

Affected products

NetApp Max Data: all versions
Python: from 3.7.0 before 3.7.9; from 3.8.0 before 3.8.5 — fixed in 3.7.9, 3.8.5

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Python 3.7.9, 3.8.5. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://bugs.python.org/issue41304
https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21495
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200731-0003/
https://bugs.python.org/issue41304
https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21495
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200731-0003/
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html

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