# CVE-2025-1944: picklescan ZIP archive manipulation attack leads to crash

> Attackers can bypass malicious model detection in PickleScan by manipulating ZIP headers, allowing malicious payloads to load despite scanner crashes.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:L/SA:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 29 Dec 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7q5r-7gvp-wc82, PYSEC-2025-20

## What is CVE-2025-1944?

CVE-2025-1944 is a medium-severity vulnerability in mmaitre314 picklescan, published on 10 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

picklescan before 0.0.23 is vulnerable to a ZIP archive manipulation attack that causes it to crash when attempting to extract and scan PyTorch model archives. By modifying the filename in the ZIP header while keeping the original filename in the directory listing, an attacker can make PickleScan raise a BadZipFile error. However, PyTorch's more forgiving ZIP implementation still allows the model to be loaded, enabling malicious payloads to bypass detection.

Weakness: CWE-345 (Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-1944?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including picklescan. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `picklescan` | PyPI | All versions | 0.0.23 |
| `picklescan` | PyPI | All versions | 0.0.23 |
| `picklescan` | PyPI | All versions | 0.0.23 |

Products: Mmaitre314 Picklescan.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-1944?

Upgrade picklescan to 0.0.23 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-1944 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-1944 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in mmaitre314 picklescan

- [CVE-2025-10155](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-10155/): PickleScan Security Bypass Using Misleading File Extension (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-10156](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-10156/): PickleScan Security Bypass via Bad CRC in ZIP Archive (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-10157](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-10157/): PickleScan Bypasses Unsafe Globals Check Using Submodule Imports (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-71348](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71348/): picklescan - Arbitrary Code Execution via torch.utils._config_module.load_config Bypass (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2025-71357](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71357/): picklescan - Arbitrary Code Execution via Undetected idlelib.pyshell.ModifiedInterpreter.runcommand (high 7.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-1944 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-1944 is a medium-severity vulnerability in mmaitre314 picklescan, published on 10 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-1944 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- picklescan (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.23
- picklescan (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.23
- picklescan (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.23

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1944/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1944/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-1944
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-1944
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-1944

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1944/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.