# CVE-2025-8869: Fallback tar extraction in pip doesn't check symbolic links point to extraction directory

> Attackers can exploit pip's fallback tar extraction to write files outside the target directory via symbolic links, potentially leading to code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 3 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-67788, BELL-CVE-2025-8869, CLEANSTART-2026-BZ71423, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-8869, ECHO-ffe1-1d3c-d9bc, GHSA-4xh5-x5gv-qwph, MINI-3r75-2w72-gmff, MINI-c3j7-c3p2-x3j8, MINI-f9cq-mwg9-63ww, MINI-hrv4-xxmc-6wfp, MINI-j6ww-7529-624g, MINI-j96j-jmq5-jp6m, MINI-jpcv-4gmj-6qj9, MINI-m28w-xvw5-pv5r, OESA-2025-2714, OESA-2025-2741, OESA-2025-2794, PYSEC-2026-1795, ROOT-APP-PYPI-CVE-2025-8869, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-8869, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-8869

## What is CVE-2025-8869?

CVE-2025-8869 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Python Packaging Authority pip, published on 24 Sep 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

When extracting a tar archive pip may not check symbolic links point into the extraction directory if the tarfile module doesn't implement PEP 706.
Note that upgrading pip to a "fixed" version for this vulnerability doesn't fix all known vulnerabilities that are remediated by using a Python version that implements PEP 706.

Note that this is a vulnerability in pip's fallback implementation of tar extraction for Python versions that don't implement PEP 706
and therefore are not secure to all vulnerabilities in the Python 'tarfile' module. If you're using a Python version that implements PEP 706
then pip doesn't use the "vulnerable" fallback code.

Mitigations include upgrading to a version of pip that includes the fix, upgrading to a Python version that implements PEP 706 (Python >=3.9.17, >=3.10.12, >=3.11.4, or >=3.12),
applying the linked patch, or inspecting source distributions (sdists) before installation as is already a best-practice.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-8869?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pip.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pip` | PyPI | All versions | 25.3 |
| `pip` | PyPI | All versions | 25.3 |
| `pip` | PyPI | All versions | 25.3 |

## How do I fix CVE-2025-8869?

Upgrade pip to 25.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-8869 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-8869 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-8869 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-8869 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Python Packaging Authority pip, published on 24 Sep 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-8869 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- pip (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 25.3
- pip (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 25.3
- pip (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 25.3

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-2025-8869/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-8869/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-8869
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-8869
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-8869

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-8869/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.