CVE-2023-31543 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-427 vulnerability in pipreqs. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for pipreqs — see the affected versions and patch details below.
pipreqs vulnerable to Dependency Confusion
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-31543.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
pipreqsReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
A dependency confusion in pipreqs v0.3.0 to v0.4.11 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via uploading a crafted PyPI package to the chosen repository server.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | pipreqs | ≥ 0.3.0&&< 0.4.12 | 0.4.12pip install --upgrade 'pipreqs==0.4.12' |
Affected Products
pipreqspipreqs_projectResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for pipreqs, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update pipreqs to 0.4.12 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-31543 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-31543 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.