# CVE-2019-20916: Path Traversal in pip

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-20916-path-traversal-in-pip  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2020-09-04  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2019-20916 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2020-09-04

The pip package before 19.2 for Python allows Directory Traversal when a URL is given in an install command, because a Content-Disposition header can have ../ in a filename, as demonstrated by overwriting the /root/.ssh/authorized_keys file. This occurs in _download_http_url in _internal/download.py.

Technologies: [pip (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pip). Vendors: [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2019-20916 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2019-20916 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2019-20916?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 4 September 2020.

**Which products and versions are affected?** pip (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=19.2, GIT:introduced=0,fixed=a4c735b14a62f9cb864533808ac63936704f2ace|ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=19.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2019-20916?** Yes. pip (PyPI): upgrade to 19.2 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**Am I affected by CVE-2019-20916?** Check whether you run pip (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- pip (PyPI): upgrade to 19.2 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "pip>=19.2"
  ```


## Affected products

- pip (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=19.2, GIT:introduced=0,fixed=a4c735b14a62f9cb864533808ac63936704f2ace|ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=19.2

## Identifiers

- CVE-2019-20916
- GHSA-gpvv-69j7-gwj8
- PYSEC-2020-173

## Related threats

- [PyPA pip path traversal via doubly-encoded package URLs](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13346-pypa-pip-path-traversal-via-doubly-encoded-package-urls)
- [PYSEC-2026-2876 - pip Vulnerable to Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-6357-pip-vulnerable-to-inclusion-of-functionality-from-untrusted)
- [PYSEC-2026-1796 - pip Path Traversal vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-1703-pip-path-traversal-vulnerability)
- [PYSEC-2026-1795 - pip's fallback tar extraction doesn't check symbolic links point to extraction directory](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-8869-pip-s-fallback-tar-extraction-doesn-t-check-symbolic-links-point)
- [Python pip path traversal via entry point scripts](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-8643-python-pip-path-traversal-via-entry-point-scripts)