Vulnerability from bitnami_vulndb
Published
2025-08-11 13:52
Modified
2026-09-10 15:46
Summary
Groups not dropped before running subprocess when using empty 'extra_groups' parameter
Details

An issue was found in CPython 3.12.0 subprocess module on POSIX platforms. The issue was fixed in CPython 3.12.1 and does not affect other stable releases.

When using the extra_groups= parameter with an empty list as a value (ie extra_groups=[]) the logic regressed to not call setgroups(0, NULL) before calling exec(), thus not dropping the original processes' groups before starting the new process. There is no issue when the parameter isn't used or when any value is used besides an empty list.

This issue only impacts CPython processes run with sufficient privilege to make the setgroups system call (typically root).

To clipboard 

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Bitnami",
        "name": "libpython",
        "purl": "pkg:bitnami/libpython"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "3.12.0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "3.12.1"
            }
          ],
          "type": "SEMVER"
        }
      ],
      "severity": [
        {
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N",
          "type": "CVSS_V3"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2023-6507"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cpes": [
      "cpe:2.3:a:python:python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
    ],
    "severity": "Medium"
  },
  "details": "An issue was found in CPython 3.12.0 `subprocess` module on POSIX platforms. The issue was fixed in CPython 3.12.1 and does not affect other stable releases.\n\nWhen using the `extra_groups=` parameter with an empty list as a value (ie `extra_groups=[]`) the logic regressed to not call `setgroups(0, NULL)` before calling `exec()`, thus not dropping the original processes\u0027 groups before starting the new process. There is no issue when the parameter isn\u0027t used or when any value is used besides an empty list.\n\nThis issue only impacts CPython processes run with sufficient privilege to make the `setgroups` system call (typically `root`).",
  "id": "BIT-libpython-2023-6507",
  "modified": "2026-09-10T15:46:03.895Z",
  "published": "2025-08-11T13:52:31.237Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/10e9bb13b8dcaa414645b9bd10718d8f7179e82b"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/85bbfa8a4bbdbb61a3a84fbd7cb29a4096ab8a06"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/9fe7655c6ce0b8e9adc229daf681b6d30e6b1610"
    },
    {
      "type": "FIX",
      "url": "https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/112334"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://mail.python.org/archives/list/security-announce@python.org/thread/AUL7QFHBLILGISS7U63B47AYSSGJJQZD/"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-6507"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.6.2",
  "summary": "Groups not dropped before running subprocess when using empty \u0027extra_groups\u0027 parameter"
}



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