CVE-2025-71378: Picklescan Picklescan Is Missing Detection When Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9w88-8rmg-7g2p
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CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-71378 is a MODERATE picklescan is missing detection when vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Picklescan libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves picklescan is missing detection when calling built-in python cprofile.runctx. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.0.30.

CVE-2025-71378 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-71378
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9w88-8rmg-7g2p
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Picklescan
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2025-71378

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Picklescan dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

picklescan fixed: 0.0.30 
pip install picklescan>=0.0.30
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show picklescan

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2025-71378, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show picklescan

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Picklescan in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.0.30), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show picklescan command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, where the product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. In Picklescan, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary Using cProfile.runctx 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 cProfile.runctx 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 ``` import cProfile class EvilCProfileRunctx: def __reduce__(self): # cProfile.runctx(cmd, globals, locals) -> exec(cmd, ...) return cProfile.runctx, ("__import__('os').system('whoami')", None, None) ``` ### 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

CVE-2025-71378 Affected Picklescan Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.0.30
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
picklescan
pypi/picklescan
PyPI
< 0.0.30
0.0.30

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/security/advisories/GHSA-9w88-8rmg-7g2p
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/commit/1931c2d04eaca8d20597705ff39cab78ba364e4b
Picklescan Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan
Picklescan Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/picklescan/PYSEC-2026-247.yaml
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/picklesc... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/picklescan-remote-code-execution-via-undetected-cprofile-runctx-in-pickle-files

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-71378?
CVE-2025-71378 is a security vulnerability in Picklescan involving Picklescan is missing detection when calling built-in Python cProfile.runctx under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which Picklescan versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.0.30 across affected packages: picklescan.
What version fixes CVE-2025-71378?
Upgrading to 0.0.30 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is picklescan affected?
Yes, picklescan is affected in releases prior to 0.0.30. Upgrade your dependency to 0.0.30 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-71378?
CVE-2025-71378 is classified under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data (The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2025-71378?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show picklescan'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9w88-8rmg-7g2p",
  "modified" : "2026-09-11T19:21:31Z",
  "published" : "2025-08-26T21:38:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-71378" ],
  "summary" : "Picklescan is missing detection when calling built-in Python cProfile.runctx",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nUsing cProfile.runctx 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 cProfile.runctx function in reduce method\nThen 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.\n\n### PoC\n\n```\nimport cProfile\n\nclass EvilCProfileRunctx:\n    def __reduce__(self):\n        # cProfile.runctx(cmd, globals, locals) -> exec(cmd, ...)\n        return cProfile.runctx, (\"__import__('os').system('whoami')\", None, None)\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",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "picklescan"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.0.30"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/security/advisories/GHSA-9w88-8rmg-7g2p"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan/commit/1931c2d04eaca8d20597705ff39cab78ba364e4b"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/mmaitre314/picklescan"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/picklescan/PYSEC-2026-247.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/picklescan-remote-code-execution-via-undetected-cprofile-runctx-in-pickle-files"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-08-26T21:38:36Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}