CVE-2026-68508

Received Received - Intake

Code Execution in Hydra Framework via Untrusted Instantiation

Publication date: 2026-08-21

Last updated on: 2026-08-21

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description

Hydra is a framework for elegantly configuring complex applications. Prior to 1.3.4, hydra.utils.instantiate() resolves and calls Python objects selected by configuration through _resolve_target() in hydra/_internal/instantiate/_instantiate2.py, allowing attacker-controlled target values and arguments to choose dangerous callables. A consuming application, library, CLI workflow, or model loader that passes untrusted configuration, CLI overrides, or model metadata into hydra.utils.instantiate() can therefore execute arbitrary code in its own process, including reading or modifying files and credentials or terminating the process. Version 1.3.4 adds target blocking with an explicit HYDRA_INSTANTIATE_ALLOWLIST_OVERRIDE escape hatch. This issue is fixed in version 1.3.4.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-21

Last Modified

2026-08-21

Generated

2026-08-22

AI Q&A

2026-08-22

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-68508

EUVD

EUVD-2026-64130

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-94	The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.
CWE-470	The product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in Hydra versions before 1.3.4 allows arbitrary code execution through the hydra.utils.instantiate() function. Attackers can exploit untrusted configuration inputs to call dangerous Python objects, enabling file access, credential theft, or process termination.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check the version of Hydra installed on your system using the command: pip show hydra-core. If the version is below 1.3.4, the system is vulnerable. Additionally, review any applications or workflows using hydra.utils.instantiate() to ensure they do not process untrusted configuration or CLI inputs.

Impact Analysis

If you use Hydra in an application that processes untrusted configuration, CLI inputs, or model metadata, attackers could execute malicious code in your environment. This may lead to data breaches, system compromise, or service disruption.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or modification, violating GDPR's data protection requirements or HIPAA's safeguards for protected health information. Compliance failures may result in legal penalties or reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately upgrade Hydra to version 1.3.4 or later using the command: pip install --upgrade hydra-core>=1.3.4. If upgrading is not possible, restrict untrusted inputs to hydra.utils.instantiate() and avoid passing user-controlled configuration or CLI overrides to it.

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