CVE-2024-3220

CVE-2024-3220 is a low-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 2.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-426.

Key facts

Description

There is a defect in the CPython standard library module “mimetypes” where on Windows the default list of known file locations are writable meaning other users can create invalid files to cause MemoryError to be raised on Python runtime startup or have file extensions be interpreted as the incorrect file type. This defect is caused by the default locations of Linux and macOS platforms (such as “/etc/mime.types”) also being used on Windows, where they are user-writable locations (“C:\etc\mime.types”). To work-around this issue a user can call mimetypes.init() with an empty list (“[]”) on Windows platforms to avoid using the default list of known file locations.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2024-3220?
There is a defect in the CPython standard library module “mimetypes” where on Windows the default list of known file locations are writable meaning other users can create invalid files to cause MemoryError to be raised on Python runtime startup or have file extensions be interpreted as the incorrect file type. This defect is caused by the default locations of Linux and macOS platforms (such as “/etc/mime.types”) also being used on Windows, where they are user-writable locations (“C:\etc\mime.types”). To work-around this issue a user can call mimetypes.init() with an empty list (“[]”) on Windows platforms to avoid using the default list of known file locations.
How severe is CVE-2024-3220?
CVE-2024-3220 has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 2.3, rated low severity.
Is CVE-2024-3220 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (38th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2024-3220?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2024-3220 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2024-3220 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2024-31812.
When was CVE-2024-3220 published?
CVE-2024-3220 was published on 2025-02-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

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