Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2025-71361 affects picklescan, a tool intended to detect unsafe Python pickle files. Versions before 0.0.29 may miss a malicious pickle pattern that can run arbitrary code when the file is later loaded with pickle.load(). Business risk is highest where teams ingest external or shared pickle artifacts.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for development, data, or automation workflows that process pickle files from outside trusted control. The issue is high severity, but current sources require user interaction and do not show known active exploitation.
Technical view
picklescan before 0.0.29 does not detect malicious idlelib.calltip.Calltip.fetch_tip usage in pickle files. The reported impact is remote code execution when a crafted pickle is loaded via pickle.load(). CVSS is 8.1, with no privileges required but user interaction required. CWE mapping is CWE-95.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely in Python environments that use picklescan as a control before loading pickle files, especially when pickle files come from third parties, users, partners, or shared repositories.
Exploitation context
Sources do not report active exploitation, and this CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires a crafted pickle file and a victim workflow that loads it with pickle.load() after picklescan fails to flag it.
Researcher notes
The source bundle states “before 0.0.29” is affected, while the affected-version metadata is sparse and potentially ambiguous. Treat 0.0.29-or-later guidance as dependent on the vendor advisory. No exploit details should be needed to validate exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade picklescan to 0.0.29 or later if confirmed by vendor guidance.
- Do not load untrusted pickle files with pickle.load().
- Re-scan previously accepted pickle artifacts after updating picklescan.
- Add provenance checks for pickle files from external or shared sources.
- Monitor the GitHub advisory and VulnCheck page for updates.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems and pipelines using picklescan.
- Confirm installed picklescan versions in dependency manifests and runtime environments.
- Identify workflows that load pickle files after scanning.
- Review artifact sources for externally supplied pickle files.
- Verify updated scanners flag known unsafe pickle behavior per vendor tests.
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-95: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. 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-2025-71361 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
- 8.1 (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:N
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:N2.85.2VulnCheckCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
7.6HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.1HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-8r4j-24qv-fmq9)CVE reference, VulnCheck · vendor-advisory
- VulnCheck Advisory: picklescan - Remote Code Execution via Undetected idlelib.calltip.Calltip.fetch_tipCVE 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.
Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.