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|
From 3fbba98d80cb3c6bfacf708923c79b9ee8a1489c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Bin Cao <bin.cao.cn@windriver.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:13:56 +0800
Subject: [PATCH] Fix symlink following in set_key/unset_key
python-dotenv reads key-value pairs from a .env file and can set them as
environment variables. set_key() and unset_key() follow symbolic links
when rewriting .env files via shutil.move(), allowing a local attacker
to overwrite arbitrary files via a crafted symlink when a cross-device
rename fallback is triggered.
Fix by replacing shutil.move() with os.replace() and creating the temp
file in the same directory as the target to ensure atomic same-device
rename. Also preserve the original file mode and avoid blindly following
symlinks. Add follow_symlinks parameter to rewrite(), set_key(), and
unset_key() to allow opting in to the old behavior when needed.
Backported from upstream commit 790c5c02991100aa1bf41ee5330aca75edc51311
to v1.1.0.
CVE: CVE-2026-28684
Upstream-Status: Backport [https://github.com/theskumar/python-dotenv/commit/790c5c02991100aa1bf41ee5330aca75edc51311]
Signed-off-by: Bin Cao <bin.cao.cn@windriver.com>
---
src/dotenv/cli.py | 15 +++++-
src/dotenv/main.py | 72 ++++++++++++++++++++-----
tests/test_main.py | 129 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
3 files changed, 201 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)
diff --git a/src/dotenv/cli.py b/src/dotenv/cli.py
index 33ae148..259345b 100644
--- a/src/dotenv/cli.py
+++ b/src/dotenv/cli.py
@@ -93,7 +93,13 @@ def list(ctx: click.Context, format: bool) -> None:
@click.argument('key', required=True)
@click.argument('value', required=True)
def set(ctx: click.Context, key: Any, value: Any) -> None:
- """Store the given key/value."""
+ """
+ Store the given key/value.
+
+ This doesn't follow symlinks, to avoid accidentally modifying a file at a
+ potentially untrusted path.
+ """
+
file = ctx.obj['FILE']
quote = ctx.obj['QUOTE']
export = ctx.obj['EXPORT']
@@ -125,7 +131,12 @@ def get(ctx: click.Context, key: Any) -> None:
@click.pass_context
@click.argument('key', required=True)
def unset(ctx: click.Context, key: Any) -> None:
- """Removes the given key."""
+ """
+ Removes the given key.
+
+ This doesn't follow symlinks, to avoid accidentally modifying a file at a
+ potentially untrusted path.
+ """
file = ctx.obj['FILE']
quote = ctx.obj['QUOTE']
success, key = unset_key(file, key, quote)
diff --git a/src/dotenv/main.py b/src/dotenv/main.py
index 1848d60..821bb9b 100644
--- a/src/dotenv/main.py
+++ b/src/dotenv/main.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import io
import logging
import os
import pathlib
-import shutil
+import stat
import sys
import tempfile
from collections import OrderedDict
@@ -13,9 +13,7 @@ from .parser import Binding, parse_stream
from .variables import parse_variables
# A type alias for a string path to be used for the paths in this file.
-# These paths may flow to `open()` and `shutil.move()`; `shutil.move()`
-# only accepts string paths, not byte paths or file descriptors. See
-# https://github.com/python/typeshed/pull/6832.
+# These paths may flow to `open()` and `os.replace()`.
StrPath = Union[str, "os.PathLike[str]"]
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -131,21 +129,54 @@ def get_key(
def rewrite(
path: StrPath,
encoding: Optional[str],
+ follow_symlinks: bool = False,
) -> Iterator[Tuple[IO[str], IO[str]]]:
- pathlib.Path(path).touch()
+ if follow_symlinks:
+ path = os.path.realpath(path)
- with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", encoding=encoding, delete=False) as dest:
+ try:
+ source: IO[str] = open(path, encoding=encoding)
+ try:
+ path_stat = os.lstat(path)
+ original_mode: Optional[int] = (
+ stat.S_IMODE(path_stat.st_mode)
+ if stat.S_ISREG(path_stat.st_mode)
+ else None
+ )
+ except BaseException:
+ source.close()
+ raise
+ except FileNotFoundError:
+ source = io.StringIO("")
+ original_mode = None
+
+ with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+ mode="w",
+ encoding=encoding,
+ delete=False,
+ prefix=".tmp_",
+ dir=os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(path)),
+ ) as dest:
+ dest_path = pathlib.Path(dest.name)
error = None
+
try:
- with open(path, encoding=encoding) as source:
+ with source:
yield (source, dest)
except BaseException as err:
error = err
if error is None:
- shutil.move(dest.name, path)
+ try:
+ if original_mode is not None:
+ os.chmod(dest_path, original_mode)
+
+ os.replace(dest_path, path)
+ except BaseException:
+ dest_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+ raise
else:
- os.unlink(dest.name)
+ dest_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
raise error from None
@@ -156,12 +187,16 @@ def set_key(
quote_mode: str = "always",
export: bool = False,
encoding: Optional[str] = "utf-8",
+ follow_symlinks: bool = False,
) -> Tuple[Optional[bool], str, str]:
"""
Adds or Updates a key/value to the given .env
- If the .env path given doesn't exist, fails instead of risking creating
- an orphan .env somewhere in the filesystem
+ The target .env file is created if it doesn't exist.
+
+ This function doesn't follow symlinks by default, to avoid accidentally
+ modifying a file at a potentially untrusted path. If you don't need this
+ protection and need symlinks to be followed, use `follow_symlinks`.
"""
if quote_mode not in ("always", "auto", "never"):
raise ValueError(f"Unknown quote_mode: {quote_mode}")
@@ -179,7 +214,10 @@ def set_key(
else:
line_out = f"{key_to_set}={value_out}\n"
- with rewrite(dotenv_path, encoding=encoding) as (source, dest):
+ with rewrite(dotenv_path, encoding=encoding, follow_symlinks=follow_symlinks) as (
+ source,
+ dest,
+ ):
replaced = False
missing_newline = False
for mapping in with_warn_for_invalid_lines(parse_stream(source)):
@@ -202,19 +240,27 @@ def unset_key(
key_to_unset: str,
quote_mode: str = "always",
encoding: Optional[str] = "utf-8",
+ follow_symlinks: bool = False,
) -> Tuple[Optional[bool], str]:
"""
Removes a given key from the given `.env` file.
If the .env path given doesn't exist, fails.
If the given key doesn't exist in the .env, fails.
+
+ This function doesn't follow symlinks by default, to avoid accidentally
+ modifying a file at a potentially untrusted path. If you don't need this
+ protection and need symlinks to be followed, use `follow_symlinks`.
"""
if not os.path.exists(dotenv_path):
logger.warning("Can't delete from %s - it doesn't exist.", dotenv_path)
return None, key_to_unset
removed = False
- with rewrite(dotenv_path, encoding=encoding) as (source, dest):
+ with rewrite(dotenv_path, encoding=encoding, follow_symlinks=follow_symlinks) as (
+ source,
+ dest,
+ ):
for mapping in with_warn_for_invalid_lines(parse_stream(source)):
if mapping.key == key_to_unset:
removed = True
diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index 2d63eec..fbae934 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
import io
import logging
import os
+import stat
import sys
import textwrap
from unittest import mock
@@ -61,6 +62,86 @@ def test_set_key_encoding(dotenv_path):
assert dotenv_path.read_text(encoding=encoding) == "a='é'\n"
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="file mode bits behave differently on Windows"
+)
+def test_set_key_preserves_file_mode(dotenv_path):
+ dotenv_path.write_text("a=x\n")
+ dotenv_path.chmod(0o640)
+ mode_before = stat.S_IMODE(dotenv_path.stat().st_mode)
+
+ dotenv.set_key(dotenv_path, "a", "y")
+
+ mode_after = stat.S_IMODE(dotenv_path.stat().st_mode)
+ assert mode_before == mode_after
+
+
+def test_rewrite_closes_file_handle_on_lstat_failure(tmp_path):
+ dotenv_path = tmp_path / ".env"
+ dotenv_path.write_text("a=x\n")
+ real_open = open
+ opened_handles = []
+
+ def tracking_open(*args, **kwargs):
+ handle = real_open(*args, **kwargs)
+ opened_handles.append(handle)
+ return handle
+
+ with mock.patch("dotenv.main.os.lstat", side_effect=FileNotFoundError):
+ with mock.patch("dotenv.main.open", side_effect=tracking_open):
+ dotenv.set_key(dotenv_path, "a", "x")
+
+ assert opened_handles, "expected at least one file to be opened"
+ assert all(handle.closed for handle in opened_handles)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows"
+)
+def test_set_key_symlink_to_existing_file(tmp_path):
+ target = tmp_path / "target.env"
+ target.write_text("a=x\n")
+ symlink = tmp_path / ".env"
+ symlink.symlink_to(target)
+
+ dotenv.set_key(symlink, "a", "y")
+
+ assert target.read_text() == "a=x\n"
+ assert not symlink.is_symlink()
+ assert "a='y'" in symlink.read_text()
+ assert stat.S_IMODE(symlink.stat().st_mode) == 0o600
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows"
+)
+def test_set_key_symlink_to_missing_file(tmp_path):
+ target = tmp_path / "nx"
+ symlink = tmp_path / ".env"
+ symlink.symlink_to(target)
+
+ dotenv.set_key(symlink, "a", "x")
+
+ assert not target.exists()
+ assert not symlink.is_symlink()
+ assert symlink.read_text() == "a='x'\n"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows"
+)
+def test_set_key_follow_symlinks(tmp_path):
+ target = tmp_path / "target.env"
+ target.write_text("a=x\n")
+ symlink = tmp_path / ".env"
+ symlink.symlink_to(target)
+
+ dotenv.set_key(symlink, "a", "y", follow_symlinks=True)
+
+ assert target.read_text() == "a='y'\n"
+ assert symlink.is_symlink()
+
+
def test_set_key_permission_error(dotenv_path):
dotenv_path.chmod(0o000)
@@ -188,6 +269,54 @@ def test_unset_non_existent_file(tmp_path):
)
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows"
+)
+def test_unset_key_symlink_to_existing_file(tmp_path):
+ target = tmp_path / "target.env"
+ target.write_text("a=x\n")
+ symlink = tmp_path / ".env"
+ symlink.symlink_to(target)
+
+ dotenv.unset_key(symlink, "a")
+
+ assert target.read_text() == "a=x\n"
+ assert not symlink.is_symlink()
+ assert symlink.read_text() == ""
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows"
+)
+def test_unset_key_symlink_to_missing_file(tmp_path):
+ target = tmp_path / "nx"
+ symlink = tmp_path / ".env"
+ symlink.symlink_to(target)
+ logger = logging.getLogger("dotenv.main")
+
+ with mock.patch.object(logger, "warning") as mock_warning:
+ result = dotenv.unset_key(symlink, "a")
+
+ assert result == (None, "a")
+ assert symlink.is_symlink()
+ mock_warning.assert_called_once()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+ sys.platform == "win32", reason="symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows"
+)
+def test_unset_key_follow_symlinks(tmp_path):
+ target = tmp_path / "target.env"
+ target.write_text("a=b\n")
+ symlink = tmp_path / ".env"
+ symlink.symlink_to(target)
+
+ dotenv.unset_key(symlink, "a", follow_symlinks=True)
+
+ assert target.read_text() == ""
+ assert symlink.is_symlink()
+
+
def prepare_file_hierarchy(path):
"""
Create a temporary folder structure like the following:
--
2.43.0
|