PySyft server-side arbitrary Python execution after code approvalGHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq
CRITICALGHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Code Injection vulnerability in syft. The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq.
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
syftReal-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
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.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | syft | all versions | No fix |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for syft, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
The records we use list no patched version of syft for GHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq. Check the maintainer's advisory, and where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range.
Mitigate without a patch
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-cfpg-c974-jfhq in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.