GHSA-WCCX-J62J-R448
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-03-04 21:30 – Updated: 2026-03-04 21:30Assessment
The missing pickle entrypoints pickle.loads, _pickle.loads, and _pickle.load were added to the hook https://github.com/trailofbits/fickling/commit/8c24c6edabceab156cfd41f4d70b650e1cdad1f7.
Original report
Summary
fickling.always_check_safety() does not hook all pickle entry points. pickle.loads, _pickle.loads, and _pickle.load remain unprotected, enabling malicious payload execution despite global safety mode being enabled.
Affected versions
<= 0.1.8 (verified on current upstream HEAD as of 2026-03-03)
Non-duplication check against published Fickling GHSAs
No published advisory covers hook-coverage bypass in run_hook().
Existing advisories are blocklist/detection bypasses (runpy, pty, cProfile, marshal/types, builtins, network constructors, OBJ visibility, etc.), not runtime hook coverage parity.
Root cause
run_hook() patches only:
- pickle.load
- pickle.Unpickler
- _pickle.Unpickler
It does not patch:
- pickle.loads
- _pickle.load
- _pickle.loads
Reproduction (clean upstream)
import io, pickle, _pickle
from unittest.mock import patch
import fickling
from fickling.exception import UnsafeFileError
class Payload:
def __reduce__(self):
import subprocess
return (subprocess.Popen, (['echo','BYPASS'],))
data = pickle.dumps(Payload())
fickling.always_check_safety()
# Bypass path
with patch('subprocess.Popen') as popen_mock:
pickle.loads(data)
print('bypass sink called?', popen_mock.called) # True
# Control path is blocked
with patch('subprocess.Popen') as popen_mock:
try:
pickle.load(io.BytesIO(data))
except UnsafeFileError:
pass
print('blocked sink called?', popen_mock.called) # False
Observed on vulnerable code:
- pickle.loads executes payload
- pickle.load is blocked
Minimal patch diff
--- a/fickling/hook.py
+++ b/fickling/hook.py
@@
def run_hook():
- pickle.load = loader.load
+ pickle.load = loader.load
+ _pickle.load = loader.load
+ pickle.loads = loader.loads
+ _pickle.loads = loader.loads
Validation after patch
pickle.loads,_pickle.loads, and_pickle.loadall raiseUnsafeFileError- sink not called in any path
Regression tests added locally:
- test_run_hook_blocks_pickle_loads
- test_run_hook_blocks__pickle_load_and_loads
in test/test_security_regressions_20260303.py
Impact
High-confidence runtime protection bypass for applications that trust always_check_safety() as global guard.
{
"affected": [
{
"database_specific": {
"last_known_affected_version_range": "\u003c= 0.1.8"
},
"package": {
"ecosystem": "PyPI",
"name": "fickling"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "0.1.9"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-693"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-03-04T21:30:16Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "# Assessment\n\nThe missing pickle entrypoints `pickle.loads`, `_pickle.loads`, and `_pickle.load` were added to the hook https://github.com/trailofbits/fickling/commit/8c24c6edabceab156cfd41f4d70b650e1cdad1f7.\n\n# Original report\n\n## Summary\n`fickling.always_check_safety()` does not hook all pickle entry points. `pickle.loads`, `_pickle.loads`, and `_pickle.load` remain unprotected, enabling malicious payload execution despite global safety mode being enabled.\n\n## Affected versions\n`\u003c= 0.1.8` (verified on current upstream HEAD as of 2026-03-03)\n\n## Non-duplication check against published Fickling GHSAs\nNo published advisory covers hook-coverage bypass in `run_hook()`.\nExisting advisories are blocklist/detection bypasses (runpy, pty, cProfile, marshal/types, builtins, network constructors, OBJ visibility, etc.), not runtime hook coverage parity.\n\n## Root cause\n`run_hook()` patches only:\n- `pickle.load`\n- `pickle.Unpickler`\n- `_pickle.Unpickler`\n\nIt does not patch:\n- `pickle.loads`\n- `_pickle.load`\n- `_pickle.loads`\n\n## Reproduction (clean upstream)\n```python\nimport io, pickle, _pickle\nfrom unittest.mock import patch\nimport fickling\nfrom fickling.exception import UnsafeFileError\n\nclass Payload:\n def __reduce__(self):\n import subprocess\n return (subprocess.Popen, ([\u0027echo\u0027,\u0027BYPASS\u0027],))\n\ndata = pickle.dumps(Payload())\nfickling.always_check_safety()\n\n# Bypass path\nwith patch(\u0027subprocess.Popen\u0027) as popen_mock:\n pickle.loads(data)\n print(\u0027bypass sink called?\u0027, popen_mock.called) # True\n\n# Control path is blocked\nwith patch(\u0027subprocess.Popen\u0027) as popen_mock:\n try:\n pickle.load(io.BytesIO(data))\n except UnsafeFileError:\n pass\n print(\u0027blocked sink called?\u0027, popen_mock.called) # False\n```\n\nObserved on vulnerable code:\n- `pickle.loads` executes payload\n- `pickle.load` is blocked\n\n## Minimal patch diff\n```diff\n--- a/fickling/hook.py\n+++ b/fickling/hook.py\n@@\n def run_hook():\n- pickle.load = loader.load\n+ pickle.load = loader.load\n+ _pickle.load = loader.load\n+ pickle.loads = loader.loads\n+ _pickle.loads = loader.loads\n```\n\n## Validation after patch\n- `pickle.loads`, `_pickle.loads`, and `_pickle.load` all raise `UnsafeFileError`\n- sink not called in any path\n\nRegression tests added locally:\n- `test_run_hook_blocks_pickle_loads`\n- `test_run_hook_blocks__pickle_load_and_loads`\n in `test/test_security_regressions_20260303.py`\n\n## Impact\nHigh-confidence runtime protection bypass for applications that trust `always_check_safety()` as global guard.",
"id": "GHSA-wccx-j62j-r448",
"modified": "2026-03-04T21:30:16Z",
"published": "2026-03-04T21:30:16Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/trailofbits/fickling/security/advisories/GHSA-wccx-j62j-r448"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/trailofbits/fickling/commit/8c24c6edabceab156cfd41f4d70b650e1cdad1f7"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/trailofbits/fickling"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/trailofbits/fickling/releases/tag/v0.1.9"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
],
"summary": "Fickling has `always_check_safety()` bypass: pickle.loads and _pickle.loads remain unhooked"
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.