Executive Summary

CVE-2025-71341 is a vulnerability in the picklescan library versions before 0.0.29 where the tool fails to detect the profile.Profile.runctx function when analyzing pickle files.

This failure allows attackers to embed malicious code inside pickle files using profile.Profile.runctx in the reduce method, which picklescan does not flag as dangerous.

When such a malicious pickle file is loaded, it can execute arbitrary code remotely, leading to remote code execution.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to remote code execution on systems that load malicious pickle files crafted to exploit this flaw.

Attackers can execute arbitrary commands, potentially compromising the affected system.

It also poses a risk of supply chain attacks, where infected pickle files could be distributed through machine learning models, APIs, or saved Python objects.

Organizations or individuals relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files are particularly at risk.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves malicious pickle files crafted using the profile.Profile.runctx function in the reduce method, which picklescan versions before 0.0.29 fail to detect.

To detect this vulnerability on your system, you should scan pickle files with picklescan version 0.0.29 or later, as earlier versions do not detect the malicious payload.

A practical approach is to run picklescan on suspicious pickle files to check for malicious code execution attempts.

• Use the command: `picklescan suspicious_file.pkl` to scan a pickle file.
• Monitor for unusual execution of system commands embedded in pickle files, such as `whoami`, which attackers might use to verify code execution.

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Mitigation Strategies

The primary mitigation step is to upgrade picklescan to version 0.0.29 or later, where the vulnerability is patched.

Avoid loading pickle files from untrusted or unauthenticated sources, as malicious pickle files can execute arbitrary code when loaded.

Implement strict validation and scanning of pickle files before loading them into your systems.

Consider alternative serialization formats that are safer than pickle for untrusted data.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows remote code execution through malicious pickle files that bypass detection, potentially leading to unauthorized access or manipulation of sensitive data.

Such unauthorized access or data breaches could impact compliance with common standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require protection of personal and sensitive information.

Organizations relying on picklescan for security may face increased risk of data compromise, thereby affecting their ability to meet regulatory requirements for data security and privacy.

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