# CVE-2021-3572: Improper Input Validation in pip > A remote attacker can install a different repository revision by exploiting Unicode separator handling in git references, compromising data integrity. - **Severity:** Medium 5.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 10 Nov 2021 - **Updated:** 8 Oct 2026 - **Also known as:** ALSA-2021:4455, AZL-86103, DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3572, GHSA-5xp3-jfq3-5q8x, OESA-2021-1284, PYSEC-2021-437, RHSA-2021:4455, ROOT-APP-PYPI-CVE-2021-3572, SUSE-SU-2021:2304-1, SUSE-SU-2021:2441-1, SUSE-SU-2021:4001-1, SUSE-SU-2021:4002-1, SUSE-SU-2021:4051-1, SUSE-SU-2022:0060-1, SUSE-SU-2022:0064-1, SUSE-SU-2022:0942-1, SUSE-SU-2022:0942-2, SUSE-SU-2022:1044-1, SUSE-SU-2022:1094-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-3572, USN-4961-2, openSUSE-SU-2021:1598-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:4001-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:4002-1, openSUSE-SU-2022:0064-1, openSUSE-SU-2022:0942-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:11877-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:11878-1 ## What is CVE-2021-3572? CVE-2021-3572 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management, published on 10 Nov 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. ### Official description A flaw was found in python-pip in the way it handled Unicode separators in git references. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to install a different revision on a repository. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data integrity. This is fixed in python-pip version 21.1. Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-3572? 3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pip. It affects 4 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `pip` | PyPI | All versions | 21.1 | | `pip` | PyPI | All versions | 21.1 | | `pip` | PyPI | All versions | 21.1 | | `python3-pip` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 9.0.3-20.el8 | | `python3-pip` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:9.0.3-20.el8 | | `platform-python-pip` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:9.0.3-20.el8 | | `python-pip` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:9.0.3-20.el8 | | `python3-pip-wheel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:9.0.3-20.el8 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | All versions | 9.0.1-3.6.1 | | `python3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 3.6.15-150300.10.21.1 | | `python3-core` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 3.6.15-150300.10.21.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 | All versions | 20.0.2-6.15.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 20.0.2-6.15.1 | | `python-pip-wheel` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 10.0.1-3.9.1 | | `python3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 3.6.15-150300.10.21.1 | | `python3-core` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 3.6.15-150300.10.21.1 | | `python39-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 20.2.4-7.8.1 | | `python3-core` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP3 | All versions | 3.6.15-150300.10.21.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 12 | All versions | 10.0.1-13.6.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Python 2 15 SP2 | All versions | 20.0.2-6.15.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Python 2 15 SP3 | All versions | 20.0.2-6.15.1 | | `python3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python3-base` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python3-base` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python36` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.6.15-21.5 | | `python36-core` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.6.15-21.4 | | `python36-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 20.2.4-8.9.1 | | `python3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python3-base` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python36` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.6.15-21.5 | | `python36-core` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.6.15-21.4 | | `python36-pip` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 20.2.4-8.9.1 | | `python3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python3-base` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.4.10-25.88.1 | | `python36-core` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.6.15-21.4 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 8 | All versions | 9.0.1-3.6.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 9 | All versions | 9.0.1-4.6.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 8 | All versions | 9.0.1-3.6.1 | | `python-pip` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 | All versions | 9.0.1-4.6.1 | Products: Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management, Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Network Function Cloud Native Environment, Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy, Pypa Pip. ## How do I fix CVE-2021-3572? Upgrade pip to 21.1 or later. ## Is CVE-2021-3572 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3572 in the wild and no public exploit code. Public exploit code: - A simple repository helping to test CVE-2021-3572 in PyPA/pip (github_poc): https://github.com/frenzymadness/CVE-2021-3572 ## Other vulnerabilities in Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management - [CVE-2024-20953](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20953/): Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Deserialization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2024-21287](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21287/): Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Incorrect Authorization (high 7.5, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2019-2725](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-2725/): Oracle WebLogic Server, Injection (high 7.5, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2025-21556](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21556/): Missing authorization in Oracle Agile PLM Framework (critical 9.9) - [CVE-2026-71040](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-71040/): Auth bypass in Oracle Agile PLM (critical 9.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2021-3572 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2021-3572 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management, published on 10 Nov 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3572 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - pip (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 21.1 - pip (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 21.1 - pip (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 21.1 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-2021-3572/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3572/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3572 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3572 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-3572 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3572/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.