CVE-2023-49297 is a low-severity (CVSS 3.3) Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in pydrive2. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for pydrive2 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Unsafe YAML deserialization in PyDrive2
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2023-49297 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,567 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
pydrive2🐍pydrive2Real-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
Summary
Unsafe YAML deserilization will result in arbitrary code execution. A maliciously crafted YAML file can cause arbitrary code execution if PyDrive2 is run in the same directory as it, or if it is loaded in via LoadSettingsFile.
Details
The loader being imported from the yaml library is CLoader: https://github.com/iterative/PyDrive2/blob/30c0f487c0666c0d1944ef774107359f39adc2fa/pydrive2/settings.py#L5
This loader is then used to load a user supplied file: https://github.com/iterative/PyDrive2/blob/30c0f487c0666c0d1944ef774107359f39adc2fa/pydrive2/settings.py#L108-L121
CLoader is considered unsafe. It will allow any Python code inside of it to be executed. This loading behaviour also happens automatically, the file only needs to be present for this vulnerability to occur.
Reference: https://www.exploit-db.com/docs/english/47655-yaml-deserialization-attack-in-python.pdf
PoC
- Create a malicious
settings.yamlfile:
!!python/object/new:os.system [echo poc]
- Initialize a
GoogleAuthobject .
from pydrive2.auth import GoogleAuth
gauth = GoogleAuth()
- Execute the code with the settings file present in your directory. The code inside the file will be executed:
[evan@ejedev PyDrive2]$ ls
CHANGES client_secrets.json CONTRIBUTING.rst docs examples LICENSE main.py MANIFEST.in pydrive2 pyproject.toml pytest.ini README.rst settings.yaml setup.py tox.ini
[evan@ejedev PyDrive2]$ cat settings.yaml
!!python/object/new:os.system [echo poc]
[evan@ejedev PyDrive2]$ cat main.py
from pydrive2.auth import GoogleAuth
gauth = GoogleAuth()
[evan@ejedev PyDrive2]$ python3 main.py
poc
Alternatively, the file can be loaded in directly via pydrive2.settings.LoadSettingsFile
Impact
This is a deserilization attack that will affect any user who initializes GoogleAuth from this package while a malicious yaml file is present in the same directory. As it does not require it to be directly loaded through the code, only present, I believe this produces an extra element of risk.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | pydrive2 | all versions | No fix |
| 🐍PyPI | pydrive2 | all versions | 1.16.2pip install --upgrade 'pydrive2==1.16.2' |
Research 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 pydrive2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
No patched version of pydrive2 has shipped for CVE-2023-49297 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
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.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2023-49297 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-49297. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-49297 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-49297 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.