Vulnerabilities in pkg:pypi/syft

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-31220 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) pysyft server-side arbitrary python execution vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Syft libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves pysyft server-side arbitrary python execution after code approval. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

1 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:pypi/syft

1 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:pypi/syft. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq CVE-2026-31220 CRITICAL PySyft server-side arbitrary Python execution after code approval

CVE-2026-31220 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-31220
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Syft
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-31220

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

syft fixed: Latest secure release 
pip install syft>=Latest secure release
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 syft

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2026-31220, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show syft

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

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

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Syft, 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

PySyft (Syft Datasite/Server) versions 0.9.5 and earlier are vulnerable to remote code execution due to insufficient validation and sandboxing of user-submitted code. The system allows low-privileged users to submit Python functions (via @sy.syft_function()) for remote execution on the server. While a code approval mechanism exists, the submitted code undergoes no security checks for dangerous operations (e.g., file access, command execution). Once approved, the code is executed within the server process using exec() and eval() functions without proper isolation. A remote attacker can leverage this to execute arbitrary Python code on the server, leading to complete compromise of the server environment.

CVE-2026-31220 Affected Syft Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
syft
pypi/syft
PyPI
≤ 0.9.5

References

NVD — CVE-2026-31220 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31220
Syft Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/OpenMined/PySyft
www.notion.so/cve-2026-31220-35d1... WEB
https://www.notion.so/CVE-2026-31220-35d1e1393188814186b9e00114a8aba7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-31220?
CVE-2026-31220 is a security vulnerability in Syft involving PySyft server-side arbitrary Python execution after code approval under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Syft versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: syft.
What version fixes CVE-2026-31220?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is syft affected?
Yes, syft is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-31220?
CVE-2026-31220 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-31220?
CVE-2026-31220 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2026-31220?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show syft'. 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-cfpg-c974-jfhq",
  "modified" : "2026-05-18T20:24:15Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-12T18:30:38Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-31220" ],
  "summary" : "PySyft server-side arbitrary Python execution after code approval",
  "details" : "PySyft (Syft Datasite/Server) versions 0.9.5 and earlier are vulnerable to remote code execution due to insufficient validation and sandboxing of user-submitted code. The system allows low-privileged users to submit Python functions (via @sy.syft_function()) for remote execution on the server. While a code approval mechanism exists, the submitted code undergoes no security checks for dangerous operations (e.g., file access, command execution). Once approved, the code is executed within the server process using exec() and eval() functions without proper isolation. A remote attacker can leverage this to execute arbitrary Python code on the server, leading to complete compromise of the server environment.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "syft"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "0.9.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31220"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenMined/PySyft"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.notion.so/CVE-2026-31220-35d1e1393188814186b9e00114a8aba7"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-18T20:24:15Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-12T16:16:13Z"
  }
}