CVE-2026-22701 - Filelock Plugin
CVE-2026-22701
filelock is a platform-independent file lock for Python. Prior to version 3.20.3, a TOCTOU race condition vulnerability exists in the SoftFileLock implementation of the filelock package. An attacker with local filesystem access and permission to create symlinks can exploit a race condition between the permission validation and file creation to cause lock operations to fail or behave unexpectedly. The vulnerability occurs in the _acquire() method between raise_on_not_writable_file() (permission check) and os.open() (file creation). During this race window, an attacker can create a symlink at the lock file path, potentially causing the lock to operate on an unintended target file or leading to denial of service. This issue has been patched in version 3.20.3.
CVE-2026-22701
MEDIUM
CVSS 5.3
Published 2026-01-10
Updated 2026-01-13
AI Risk Elevated (56/100)
Active Exploit: No strong signal
Published Exploit: Public exploit references found
Priority: P3 Priority
Severity Band
MEDIUM
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
Affected Components
1
Reference Links
3
AI Risk Engine
Elevated (56/100)
Exploitability
Medium
Active Exploitation
No strong signal
Published Exploit Status
Public exploit references found
AI Context
Machine-generated threat intelligence
AI
Updated 16 days ago
AI enriched 16 days ago (2026-04-09 08:19 UTC)
Technical Summary
filelock is a platform-independent file lock for Python. Prior to version 3.20.3, a TOCTOU race condition vulnerability exists in the SoftFileLock implementation of the filelock package. An attacker with local filesystem access and permission to create symlinks can exploit a race condition between the permission validation and file creation to cause lock operations to fail or behave unexpectedly. The vulnerability occurs in the _acquire() method between raise_on_not_writable_file() (permission check) and os.open() (file creation). During this race window, an attacker can…
Potential Impact
Severity is MEDIUM (CVSS 5.3). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.
Exploitability Assessment
Exploitability is assessed as Medium based on published exploit references.
Primary risk drivers: published exploit references
Mitigation Recommendations
Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.
Detection & Monitoring
Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.
Business Impact Lens
Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.
