CVE-2026-53874: picklescan unsafe deserialization via obfuscated eval call

CVE-2026-53874 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-06-17

picklescan is a security tool designed to detect malicious code within Python pickle files, which are commonly used to store machine learning models and data. A vulnerability in the tool allows attackers to bypass its security checks by obfuscating malicious commands, leading to the execution of unauthorized code on the system running the scan. This could allow an attacker to take full control of a server or workstation that is processing untrusted files.

Technologies: picklescan (PyPI). Vendors: PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-53874 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-53874 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-53874?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 17 June 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
picklescan (PyPI) < 1.0.1, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=1.0.1.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-53874?
Yes. picklescan (PyPI): upgrade to 1.0.1 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-53874 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-53874?
Check whether you run picklescan (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • picklescan (PyPI): upgrade to 1.0.1 or later
    pip install "picklescan>=1.0.1"

Technical details

An unsafe deserialization vulnerability (CWE-502) exists in picklescan versions prior to 1.0.1. The tool fails to detect malicious 'eval' calls when they are nested under other callable objects using 'getattr' obfuscation. An attacker can craft a malicious pickle file that evades the scanner's detection logic but executes arbitrary Python code when the file is subsequently loaded by a victim. This bypass is achieved by using the '__reduce__' method to trigger an obfuscated call to 'builtins.eval'. The issue is resolved in version 1.0.1.

Affected products

  • picklescan picklescan < 1.0.1

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-53874
  • GHSA-9m3x-qqw2-h32h
  • PYSEC-2026-1789

Timeline

  • 2026-02-02: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
  • 2026-06-17: disclosed: NVD publication date

References

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