diff --git a/docs/changelog/1699.bugfix.rst b/docs/changelog/1699.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22d45e536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/1699.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Upgrade embedded setuptools to ``45.3.0`` from ``45.2.0`` for Python ``3.5+``  - by :user:`gaborbernat`.
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/__init__.py b/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/__init__.py
index b008a0652..ce762e823 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/__init__.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/__init__.py
@@ -3,27 +3,27 @@
 BUNDLE_SUPPORT = {
     "3.9": {
         "pip": "pip-20.0.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.8": {
         "pip": "pip-20.0.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.7": {
         "pip": "pip-20.0.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.6": {
         "pip": "pip-20.0.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.5": {
         "pip": "pip-20.0.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
-        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "setuptools": "setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl",
         "wheel": "wheel-0.34.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.4": {
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl b/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl
similarity index 93%
rename from src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl
rename to src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl
index 10ff63fe6..00dc7ec46 100644
Binary files a/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/setuptools-45.2.0-py3-none-any.whl and b/src/virtualenv/seed/embed/wheels/setuptools-45.3.0-py3-none-any.whl differ