CVE-2025-71358 picklescan CVE debrief

Who should care

Developers and users of the picklescan library before version 0.0.29 should be aware of this vulnerability. Specifically, anyone who handles or loads pickle files from untrusted sources should take immediate action to mitigate this risk. This includes developers who use picklescan in their applications and users who load pickle files from potentially malicious sources.

Technical summary

The picklescan library before version 0.0.29 is vulnerable to a remote code execution attack. The library uses the pickle format to serialize and deserialize Python objects. However, it fails to properly validate the contents of pickle files, allowing attackers to embed malicious code that can be executed when the pickle file is loaded. The vulnerability is caused by the library's reliance on the idlelib.autocomplete.AutoComplete.get_entity function in reduce methods, which can be exploited to execute arbitrary commands.

Defensive priority

High priority should be given to updating the picklescan library to version 0.0.29 or later. In the meantime, defenders should treat pickle files from untrusted sources with extreme caution and consider implementing additional security controls to prevent exploitation.

Recommended defensive actions

• Update picklescan to version 0.0.29 or later
• Treat pickle files from untrusted sources with caution
• Implement additional security controls to prevent exploitation
• Monitor for suspicious pickle file activity
• Consider using alternative serialization formats

Evidence notes

The CVE-2025-71358 vulnerability was reported by Vulncheck and is publicly disclosed. The vulnerability affects the picklescan library before version 0.0.29. The CVE record and NVD detail pages provide additional information about the vulnerability.

Official resources