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CVE-2026-24049

Wheel path traversal

7.1 HIGHPublic exploitEPSS 0.36%
  1. Published22 Jan 2026

Description

wheel is a command line tool for manipulating Python wheel files, as defined in PEP 427. In versions 0.40.0 through 0.46.1, the unpack function is vulnerable to file permission modification through mishandling of file permissions after extraction. The logic blindly trusts the filename from the archive header for the chmod operation, even though the extraction process itself might have sanitized the path. Attackers can craft a malicious wheel file that, when unpacked, changes the permissions of critical system files (e.g., /etc/passwd, SSH keys, config files), allowing for Privilege Escalation or arbitrary code execution by modifying now-writable scripts. This issue has been fixed in version 0.46.2.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorLocal
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Wheel≥ 0.40.0 < 0.46.2

Remediation

Fixed in
Wheel≥ 0.46.2

References

and 40 more references

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2026-24049 being actively exploited?

CVE-2026-24049 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. A public exploit reference exists, so treat it as exploitable. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.36%.

How severe is CVE-2026-24049?

CVE-2026-24049 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, rated high. EPSS estimates a 0.36% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2026-24049?

Affected products include Wheel.

How do I fix CVE-2026-24049?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Wheel 0.46.2 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-24049 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.