Vulnerability · Published Sep 24, 2025 · Assigned by PSF
CVE-2025-8869Fallback tar extraction in pip doesn't check symbolic links point to extraction directory
Medium 5.9
In plain English
A medium-severity security flaw in pip from Python Packaging Authority. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.5% (higher than 43% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
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.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | python-pip | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2025-8869 |
| Debian:13 | python-pip | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2025-8869 |
| Debian:14 | python-pip | 25.3+dfsg-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2025-8869 |
| PyPI | pip | 25.3 | GHSA-4xh5-x5gv-qwph |
| PyPI | pip | 25.3 | PYSEC-2026-1795 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Python Packaging Authority | pip | 0 – before 25.3 |