setuptools is a package that allows users to download, build, install, upgrade, and uninstall Python packages. A path traversal vulnerability in PackageIndex is present in setuptools prior to version 78.1.1. An attacker would be allowed to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem with the permissions of the process running the Python code, which could escalate to remote code execution depending on the context. Version 78.1.1 fixes the issue.

Summary A path traversal vulnerability in PackageIndex was fixed in setuptools version 78.1.1

Details def downloadurl(self, url, tmpdir): # Determine download filename # name, fragment = egginfoforurl(url) if name: while '..' in name: name = name.replace('..', '.').replace('\\', '') else: name = "downloaded" # default if URL has no path contents

if name.endswith('.egg.zip'): name = name[:-4] # strip the extra .zip before download

--> filename = os.path.join(tmpdir, name)

Here: https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/blob/6ead555c5fb29bc57fe6105b1bffc163f56fd558/setuptools/packageindex.py#L810C1-L825C88

os.path.join() discards the first argument tmpdir if the second begins with a slash or drive letter. name is derived from a URL without sufficient sanitization. While there is some attempt to sanitize by replacing instances of '..' with '.', it is insufficient.

Risk Assessment As easyinstall and packageindex are deprecated, the exploitation surface is reduced. However, it seems this could be exploited in a similar fashion like https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r9hx-vwmv-q579, and as described by POC 4 in https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cx63-2mw6-8hw5 report: via malicious URLs present on the pages of a package index.

Impact An attacker would be allowed to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem with the permissions of the process running the Python code, which could escalate to RCE depending on the context.

References https://huntr.com/bounties/d6362117-ad57-4e83-951f-b8141c6e7ca5 https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/4946