CVE-2025-47273: Setuptools Path Traversal Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2025-47273 is a HIGH path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Setuptools libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves setuptools has a path traversal vulnerability in packageindex.download that leads to arbitrary file write. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 78.1.1.
CVE-2025-47273 at a Glance
How to Fix CVE-2025-47273
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Setuptools dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
pip install setuptools>=78.1.1Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
pip show setuptoolsHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2025-47273, inspect your installed packages using pip:
pip show setuptoolsAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Setuptools in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 78.1.1), your application is affected.
Note: The pip show setuptools command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Setuptools, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2025-47273 Affected Setuptools Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
setuptools
|
PyPI |
< 78.1.1
|
78.1.1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-47273?
Which Setuptools versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2025-47273?
Is setuptools affected?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-47273?
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2025-47273?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-5rjg-fvgr-3xxf",
"modified" : "2025-06-13T04:13:22Z",
"published" : "2025-05-19T16:52:43Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-47273" ],
"summary" : "setuptools has a path traversal vulnerability in PackageIndex.download that leads to Arbitrary File Write",
"details" : "### Summary \nA path traversal vulnerability in `PackageIndex` was fixed in setuptools version 78.1.1\n\n### Details\n```\n def _download_url(self, url, tmpdir):\n # Determine download filename\n #\n name, _fragment = egg_info_for_url(url)\n if name:\n while '..' in name:\n name = name.replace('..', '.').replace('\\\\', '_')\n else:\n name = \"__downloaded__\" # default if URL has no path contents\n\n if name.endswith('.[egg.zip](http://egg.zip/)'):\n name = name[:-4] # strip the extra .zip before download\n\n --> filename = os.path.join(tmpdir, name)\n```\n\nHere: https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/blob/6ead555c5fb29bc57fe6105b1bffc163f56fd558/setuptools/package_index.py#L810C1-L825C88\n\n`os.path.join()` discards the first argument `tmpdir` if the second begins with a slash or drive letter.\n`name` is derived from a URL without sufficient sanitization. While there is some attempt to sanitize by replacing instances of '..' with '.', it is insufficient.\n\n### Risk Assessment\nAs easy_install and package_index are deprecated, the exploitation surface is reduced.\nHowever, it seems this could be exploited in a similar fashion like https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r9hx-vwmv-q579, and as described by POC 4 in https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cx63-2mw6-8hw5 report: via malicious URLs present on the pages of a package index.\n\n### Impact\nAn attacker would be allowed to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem with the permissions of the process running the Python code, which could escalate to RCE depending on the context.\n\n### References\nhttps://huntr.com/bounties/d6362117-ad57-4e83-951f-b8141c6e7ca5\nhttps://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/4946",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "PyPI",
"name" : "setuptools"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "78.1.1"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/security/advisories/GHSA-5rjg-fvgr-3xxf"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-47273"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/4946"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/commit/250a6d17978f9f6ac3ac887091f2d32886fbbb0b"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/setuptools/PYSEC-2025-49.yaml"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/pypa/setuptools"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/blob/6ead555c5fb29bc57fe6105b1bffc163f56fd558/setuptools/package_index.py#L810C1-L825C88"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00035.html"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2025-05-19T16:52:43Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2025-05-17T16:15:19Z"
}
}