The command-line "safety" package for Python has a potential security issue. There are two Python characteristics that allow malicious code to “poison-pill” command-line Safety package detection routines by disguising, or obfuscating, other malicious or non-secure packages. This vulnerability is considered to be of low severity because the attack makes use of an existing Python condition, not the Safety tool itself. This can happen if: You are running Safety in a Python environment that you don’t trust. You are running Safety from the same Python environment where you have your dependencies installed. Dependency packages are being installed arbitrarily or without proper verification. Users can mitigate this issue by doing any of the following: Perform a static analysis by installing Docker and running the Safety Docker image: $ docker run --rm -it pyupio/safety check -r requirements.txt Run Safety against a static dependencies list, such as the requirements.txt file, in a separate, clean Python environment. Run Safety from a Continuous Integration pipeline. Use PyUp.io, which runs Safety in a controlled environment and checks Python for dependencies without any need to install them. Use PyUp's Online Requirements Checker.
CVE-2020-5252
This medium-severity CVE scores 5.0 under NVD CVSS v3. EPSS exploit probability: 0.1%, top 79% of all CVEs by exploit prediction. GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
- Lower severity and no public exploit yet
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 5.0
- EG Score
- 5.0(medium)
- EPSS
- 29.2%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
March 23, 2020
Last Modified
November 21, 2024
References (6)
- security-advisories@githubhttps://github.com/akoumjian/python-safety-vuln
- security-advisories@githubhttps://github.com/pyupio/safety/security/advisories/GHSA-7q25-qrjw-6fg2
- security-advisories@githubhttps://pyup.io/posts/patched-vulnerability/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/akoumjian/python-safety-vuln
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/pyupio/safety/security/advisories/GHSA-7q25-qrjw-6fg2
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://pyup.io/posts/patched-vulnerability/
Affected Packages
(1 across 1 ecosystem)
PyPI(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fixed in | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| safety | 0.1.0 ... 1.8.6 (31 versions) | 1.8.7 | — |
Weakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 12× in last 7d / 49× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
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Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2020-5252?
When was CVE-2020-5252 disclosed?
Is CVE-2020-5252 actively exploited?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-5252?
How do I remediate CVE-2020-5252?
Dependency Blast Radius
See which npm, PyPI, Go, and Maven packages are affected by CVE-2020-5252
Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2020-5252?
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