# CVE-2026-41486: Ray: Remote Code Execution via Parquet Arrow Extension Type Deserialization

> Attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution by tricking users into opening malicious Parquet files with Ray Data.

- **Severity:** High 8.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **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:** 8 May 2026
- **Updated:** 12 May 2026
- **Also known as:** ECHO-e817-9967-6723, GHSA-mw35-8rx3-xf9r, MINI-pg3w-2mjx-wvqm, MINI-r4vv-2xhq-5x55, PYSEC-2026-2272, PYSEC-2026-2296

## What is CVE-2026-41486?

CVE-2026-41486 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in ray-project ray, published on 8 May 2026. 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

Ray is an AI compute engine. From version 2.54.0 to before version 2.55.0, Ray Data registers custom Arrow extension types (ray.data.arrow_tensor, ray.data.arrow_tensor_v2, ray.data.arrow_variable_shaped_tensor) globally in PyArrow. When PyArrow reads a Parquet file containing one of these extension types, it calls __arrow_ext_deserialize__ on the field's metadata bytes. Ray's implementation passes these bytes directly to cloudpickle.loads(), achieving arbitrary code execution during schema parsing, before any row data is read. This issue has been patched in version 2.55.0.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41486?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including ray and ve-ray. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ray` | PyPI | All versions to 2.54.0 | None |
| `ray` | PyPI | From 2.49.0 | 2.55.0 |
| `ray` | PyPI | From 2.49.0 | 2.55.0 |
| `ve-ray` | PyPI | All versions to 2.54.0 | None |

Products: Anyscale Ray.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-41486?

Upgrade ray to 2.55.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-41486 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41486 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in ray-project ray

- [CVE-2025-62593](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62593/): Ray-Project Ray Code Injection (critical 9.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-48022](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48022/): Ray has arbitrary code execution via jobs submission API (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-48023](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48023/): Server-side request forgery in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-32981](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32981/): Ray Dashboard <= 2.8.0 Path Traversal Leading to Local File Disclosure (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-57516](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-57516/): Ray < 2.56.0 Unsafe Deserialization RCE via WebDataset Reader (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41486 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-41486 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in ray-project ray, published on 8 May 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41486 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- ray (PyPI): affected all versions up to 2.54.0; no fix listed
- ray (PyPI): affected from 2.49.0; fixed in 2.55.0
- ray (PyPI): affected from 2.49.0; fixed in 2.55.0
- ve-ray (PyPI): affected all versions up to 2.54.0; no fix listed

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-2026-41486/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41486/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41486
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41486
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41486

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41486/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.