# CVE-2015-5652: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges by placing a malicious readline.pyd file in the current working directory.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Oct 2015
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-54x8-9249-g4m3

## What is CVE-2015-5652?

CVE-2015-5652 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Python Python, published on 5 Oct 2015. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Untrusted search path vulnerability in python.exe in Python through 3.5.0 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse readline.pyd file in the current working directory.  NOTE: the vendor says "It was determined that this is a longtime behavior of Python that cannot really be altered at this point."

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-5652?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Python Python.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-5652?

No fix has been published for CVE-2015-5652 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2015-5652 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-5652 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Python Python

- [CVE-2008-5031](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5031/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2014-4650](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4650/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5636](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5636/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2007-4559](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-4559/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-17522](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17522/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-5652 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-5652 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Python Python, published on 5 Oct 2015. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-5652 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Python Python. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5652/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5652/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-5652
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5652
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-5652

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5652/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.