picklescan before version 0.0.28 fails to detect malicious pickle files that embed torch.utils.data.datapipes.utils.decoder.basichandlers in their reduce methods. This unsafe deserialization flaw, identified as CWE‑502, allows an attacker to embed code that automatically executes during deserialization, giving the attacker remote code execution inside the process that runs the tool.

The vulnerability affects the picklescan utility produced by mmaitre314. Any installation using a version earlier than 0.0.28 is susceptible; versions 0.0.28 and later contain the fix.

The CVSS score of 7.6 classifies the vulnerability as high severity, while the EPSS score of less than 1 % indicates that exploitation is currently considered unlikely in the broader ecosystem. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Based on the description, it is inferred that the most likely attack path involves an attacker crafting a pickle file that includes basichandlers, then supplying it to picklescan for analysis; if processed, malicious code will execute during deserialization. The risk remains significant, especially if picklescan runs with elevated privileges or processes untrusted files.