Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
PickleScan is meant to detect unsafe Python pickle files. This flaw lets a malicious pickle evade one safety check by using pty.spawn, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution when PickleScan processes the file. The main business risk is in workflows that scan untrusted pickle files, especially AI/ML model pipelines or artifact intake processes.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority remediation for AI/ML and artifact-processing environments. The issue can undermine a security control and may allow code execution if malicious files are processed. Prioritize internet-facing or partner-fed ingestion workflows first.
Technical view
CVE-2025-71322 is a CWE-693 protection-mechanism failure in PickleScan before 0.0.33. The unsafe globals list omitted pty.spawn, allowing crafted pickle payloads to bypass checks and execute code during processing. CVSS 3.1 is 8.8, with network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where PickleScan processes externally supplied or untrusted pickle files, such as ML model downloads, artifact repositories, CI pipelines, or security validation workflows. Systems not using PickleScan, or not scanning untrusted pickle content, are unlikely to be affected.
Exploitation context
The sources describe arbitrary code execution through crafted pickle payloads processed by PickleScan. The CVE is not listed as KEV, and the provided sources do not state active exploitation in the wild. Successful exploitation requires PickleScan to process a malicious file.
Researcher notes
The record says PickleScan before 0.0.33 omits pty.spawn from unsafe globals. Affected-version metadata in the bundle is terse, so validate exact fixed and affected ranges against GHSA before enforcement. No exploit-in-the-wild evidence is provided here.
Mitigation direction
- Check installed PickleScan versions against the vendor advisory.
- Upgrade PickleScan to 0.0.33 or later if confirmed affected.
- Avoid processing untrusted pickle files until upgraded or risk-reviewed.
- Restrict artifact intake sources and require provenance for pickle files.
- Monitor vendor guidance for any additional remediation instructions.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems, pipelines, and notebooks using PickleScan.
- Identify workflows that scan externally supplied pickle files.
- Confirm PickleScan version from package metadata or dependency manifests.
- Review recent scan inputs for untrusted pickle artifacts.
- Document upgrade status and remaining exception cases.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-693: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2025-71322 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9VulnCheckCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.7HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- GHSA Advisory GHSA-hgrh-qx5j-jfwxCVE reference, VulnCheck · vendor-advisory
- VulnCheck Advisory: PickleScan - Unsafe Globals Check Bypass via pty.spawn FunctionCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Protection Mechanism Failure
Protection Mechanism Failure represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.