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Picklescan missing detection when calling pytorch function torch.utils.collect_env.run

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Aug 22, 2025 in mmaitre314/picklescan • Updated Aug 22, 2025

Package

pip picklescan (pip)

Affected versions

<= 0.0.27

Patched versions

0.0.28

Description

Summary

Using torch.utils.collect_env.run function, which is a pytorch library function to execute remote pickle file.

Details

The attack payload executes in the following steps:

First, the attacker craft the payload by calling to torch.utils.collect_env.run function in reduce method
Then when the victim after checking whether the pickle file is safe by using Picklescan library and this library doesn't dectect any dangerous functions, decide to pickle.load() this malicious pickle file, thus lead to remote code execution.

PoC

import torch.utils.collect_env as collect_env

class EvilTorchUtilsCollectEnvRun:
    def __reduce__(self):
        command = 'touch /tmp/collect_env_run_success'
        return collect_env.run, (command,)

Impact

Who is impacted? Any organization or individual relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files inside PyTorch models.
What is the impact? Attackers can embed malicious code in pickle file that remains undetected but executes when the pickle file is loaded.
Supply Chain Attack: Attackers can distribute infected pickle files across ML models, APIs, or saved Python objects.

Corresponding

https://github.com/FredericDT
https://github.com/Qhaoduoyu

References

@mmaitre314 mmaitre314 published to mmaitre314/picklescan Aug 22, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Aug 22, 2025
Reviewed Aug 22, 2025
Last updated Aug 22, 2025

Severity

Moderate

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity

The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-f745-w6jp-hpxx

Source code

Credits

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