quokka: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
CVE-2025-62515 is a critical-severity deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability in quokka from Marsupialtail, 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. Affected quokka versions: <= 3.0.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.89% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 60% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of quokka you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marsupialtail | quokka | <= 3.0.1 | Not stated |
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 CNA (github.com).
Official description
pyquokka is a framework for making data lakes work for time series. In versions 0.3.1 and prior, the FlightServer class directly uses pickle.loads() to deserialize action bodies received from Flight clients without any sanitization or validation in the do_action() method. The vulnerable code is located in pyquokka/flight.py at line 283 where arbitrary data from Flight clients is directly passed to pickle.loads(). When FlightServer is configured to listen on 0.0.0.0, this allows attackers across the entire network to perform arbitrary remote code execution by sending malicious pickled payloads through the set_configs action. Additional vulnerability points exist in the cache_garbage_collect, do_put, and do_get functions where pickle.loads is used to deserialize untrusted remote data.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- If available, use the signing/sealing features of the programming language to assure that deserialized data has not been tainted. For example, a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) could be used to ensure that data has not been modified.
- When deserializing data, populate a new object rather than just deserializing. The result is that the data flows through safe input validation and that the functions are safe.
- Explicitly define a final object() to prevent deserialization.
More Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerabilities (CWE-502)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Recent Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.