picklescan: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
CVE-2025-1945 is a critical-severity insufficient verification of data authenticity vulnerability in picklescan from Mmaitre314, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 0.0.23 as the first without the flaw, so updating picklescan to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.55% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update picklescan to 0.0.23 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mmaitre314 | picklescan | 0.0.1 up to, but not including, 0.0.23 | 0.0.23 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 5.3 | Medium | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.8 | Critical | NVD |
Official description
picklescan before 0.0.23 fails to detect malicious pickle files inside PyTorch model archives when certain ZIP file flag bits are modified. By flipping specific bits in the ZIP file headers, an attacker can embed malicious pickle files that remain undetected by PickleScan while still being successfully loaded by PyTorch's torch.load(). This can lead to arbitrary code execution when loading a compromised model.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data.
More Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity vulnerabilities (CWE-345)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in picklescan
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity vulnerabilities
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
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