GHSA-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) remote code execution vulnerability in docling-core. A fix is available for docling-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
docling-core vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via unsafe PyYAML usage
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc.
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
GHSA-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc 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 379,145 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
docling-coreReal-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
Impact
A PyYAML-related Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability, namely CVE-2020-14343, is exposed in docling-core >=2.21.0, <2.48.4 and, specifically only if the application uses pyyaml < 5.4 and invokes docling_core.types.doc.DoclingDocument.load_from_yaml() passing it untrusted YAML data.
Patches
The vulnerability has been patched in docling-core version 2.48.4.
The fix mitigates the issue by switching PyYAML deserialization from yaml.FullLoader to yaml.SafeLoader, ensuring that untrusted data cannot trigger code execution.
Workarounds
Users who cannot immediately upgrade docling-core can alternatively ensure that the installed version of PyYAML is 5.4 or greater, which supposedly patches CVE-2020-14343.
References
- GitHub Issue: #482
- Upstream Advisory: CVE-2020-14343
- Fix Release: v2.48.4
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | docling-core | ≥ 2.21.0&&< 2.48.4 | 2.48.4pip install --upgrade 'docling-core==2.48.4' |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for docling-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update docling-core to 2.48.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc. 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-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-vqxf-v2gg-x3hc across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.