CVE-2026-5271 Possible to hijack modules in current working directory
Attackers can execute arbitrary code by placing malicious modules in the current working directory when users run pymanager commands.
- 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
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-5271?
CVE-2026-5271 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Python Software Foundation pymanager, published on 1 Apr 2026. 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
pymanager included the current working directory in sys.path meaning modules could be shadowed by modules in the current working directory. As a result, if a user executes a pymanager-generated command (e.g., pip, pytest) from an attacker-controlled directory, a malicious module in that directory can be imported and executed instead of the intended package.
Weakness: CWE-427
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5271?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Python Pymanager.
How do I fix CVE-2026-5271?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5271 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and never evaluate templates, expressions or code built from user input. More about Code injection.
Is CVE-2026-5271 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-5271 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-jr5x-hgm4-rrm6.