Overview
In this post, we will delve into a significant vulnerability identified in the skops Python library: CVE-2025-54886. This library, widely used in the Python community for sharing and shipping scikit-learn based models, has a flaw that potentially allows arbitrary code execution. This issue affects all users of the skops library version 0.12.0 and below, highlighting the importance of keeping libraries updated and continually monitoring for new vulnerabilities. The potential impact of this vulnerability is system compromise or data leakage, making it critical for system administrators and developers to understand and mitigate.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-54886
Severity: High (CVSS: 8.4)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
skops Python library | 0.12.0 and below
How the Exploit Works
The root cause of the vulnerability lies in the Card.get_model function of the skops library. While the function supports secure loading for .skops models, it falls back to the joblib loader for non-.zip file formats without any warning. This is problematic as joblib allows arbitrary code execution during loading, bypassing the security measures in place. Consequently, an attacker can potentially execute malicious code by merely providing a non-.zip file for loading.
Conceptual Example Code
This is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. An attacker could craft a malicious non-.zip file that contains a payload leading to arbitrary code execution when loaded by the joblib loader.
from skops import Card
# Malicious payload embedded in a non-zip file
malicious_file = 'malicious.pkl'
# Loading the malicious file using the Card.get_model function
model = Card.get_model(malicious_file)In this example, `malicious.pkl` is a non-zip file containing a crafted payload. When the `Card.get_model` function is used to load this file, it falls back to joblib’s loader, executing the malicious code embedded in the file.
Mitigation
Users are strongly advised to upgrade the skops library to version 0.13.0 or later, where the issue has been fixed. If upgrading is not possible, a temporary mitigation would be to use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to monitor and block suspicious file loading activities.