An undocumented and unsafe feature in the PLY (Python Lex-Yacc) library 3.11 allows Remote Code Execution (RCE) via the picklefile parameter in the yacc() function. This parameter accepts a .pkl file that is deserialized with pickle.load() without validation. Because pickle allows execution of embedded code via __reduce__(), an attacker can achieve code execution by passing a malicious pickle file. The parameter is not mentioned in official documentation or the GitHub repository, yet it is active in the PyPI version. This introduces a stealthy backdoor and persistence risk. NOTE: A third-party states that this vulnerability should be rejected because the proof of concept does not demonstrate arbitrary code execution and fails to complete successfully.
Weakness
The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ply | Dabeaz | 3.11 (including) | 3.11 (including) |
Potential Mitigations
- Make fields transient to protect them from deserialization.
- An attempt to serialize and then deserialize a class containing transient fields will result in NULLs where the transient data should be. This is an excellent way to prevent time, environment-based, or sensitive variables from being carried over and used improperly.
Related Attack Patterns
References
- https://github.com/bohmiiidd/Undocumented-RCE-in-PLY
- https://github.com/bohmiiidd/Undocumument_RCE_PLY-yacc-CVE-2025-56005
- https://github.com/tom025/ply_exploit_rejection
- https://github.com/tom025/ply_exploit_rejection/issues/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/23/4
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/23/5
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/28/5
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/29/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/29/2
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/30/1