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TI-2026-83410 Aliases CVE-2026-16760GHSA-cgc3-662q-qmrc

Fickling check_safety() bypass via standard library callables

Priority MEDIUM 40CWE-502Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution, Security bypass
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
No fix listed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-502 and CWE-693.

Summary

Trail of Bits fickling through 0.1.12 trusts any callable from a standard library module without checking its behavior, so the OvertlyBadEvals pass skips it. A crafted pickle payload can then pass check_safety() as LIKELY_SAFE with zero findings (CWE-502). A remote attacker needs a user to load the file with fickling.load(), which runs the payload with the victim's privileges.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-31

Description from the CNA

In Trail of Bits fickling through 0.1.12, the _process_import() method in fickle.py adds an imported name to the likely_safe_imports set whenever the source module is present in sys.stdlib_module_names and the name is absent from the UNSAFE_IMPORTS denylist, without inspecting what the name resolves to or how it behaves. The OvertlyBadEvals analysis pass in analysis.py then unconditionally skips any call whose function name appears in likely_safe_imports, including calls that would otherwise be flagged as overtly dangerous. As a result, any callable reachable through a non-blocked standard library module inherits module-level trust regardless of its own behavior, and check_safety() returns LIKELY_SAFE with zero findings for pickle payloads that reach code execution or file write through such callables. Demonstrated primitives: dataclasses._create_fn, which passes an attacker-controlled function body to exec() and yields arbitrary code execution on Python 3.7 through 3.12 (the internal _create_fn function was removed in Python 3.13); mailcap.findmatch, which internally calls os.system() on a test command taken from an attacker-controlled caps dictionary, yielding arbitrary code execution on Python versions through 3.12 (the mailcap module was removed in Python 3.13); and readline.add_history() followed by readline.write_history_file(), which writes attacker-controlled content to an arbitrary filesystem path (POSIX platforms, where the readline module is available). fickling.load() chains check_safety() into pickle.loads() as an explicit security gate, so a LIKELY_SAFE verdict causes the payload to be deserialized and executed with the privileges of the victim process. The root cause is the inference of callable safety from module origin; it is independent of, and separately fixable from, the dotted __qualname__ resolution weakness tracked as CVE-2026-118938, which this advisory does not address. As of 2026-10-30 the three demonstrated modules were added to UNSAFE_IMPORTS on the vendor master branch (commit d011709) pending release; released versions through 0.1.12 remain affected, and the module-origin trust root cause persists, as demonstrated by the related CVE-2026-118938 remaining exploitable on that same build.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00455 39th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
trailofbitsficklingup to 0.1.12—No fix listedCNA
  • fickling Vendortrailofbits Affected up to 0.1.12 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:trailofbits:fickling:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——trailofbits
  • cpe:2.3:a:trailofbits:fickling:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·trailofbits

Remediation

The sources list no fixed version for fickling. The vendor master branch adds the affected modules to UNSAFE_IMPORTS, pending release. Red Hat lists Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) as affected with no plan available.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-31

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI)AffectedNo fix yet

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-30 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-16760
  2. 2026-10-31 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  3. 2026-10-31 CVSS score added · Red Hat
  4. 2026-10-31 Alias added: GHSA-cgc3-662q-qmrc
  5. 2026-11-01 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
  6. 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  7. 2026-11-06 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM

References

  • TI-2026-18173 Fickling vulnerable to detection bypass due to "builtins" blindness CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-18170 Fickling has Static Analysis Bypass via Incomplete Dangerous Module Blocklist CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-18169 Fickling vulnerable to use of ctypes and pydoc gadget chain to bypass detection CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-18168 Fickling Blocklist Bypass: cProfile.run() CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-18167 Fickling has a bypass via runpy.run_path() and runpy.run_module() CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-12265 Fickling MLAllowlist analysis pass rendered inoperative by shared mutable state in AnalysisContext.shorten_code() CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
See all 14 →

Sources