CVE-2020-13091Network attack vector

Command execution via untrusted pickle deserialization

Published May 15, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Deserialization in pandas 1.0.3 and earlier allows attackers to execute operating-system commands through an untrusted pickle file. read_pickle() passes the file to Python's pickle loader, which invokes an attacker-controlled reduce callable such as os.system during object reconstruction. Exploitation requires an application or user to pass attacker-controlled pickle data to read_pickle(); pandas documents this operation as unsafe and disputes that the behavior is a vulnerability.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability3.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Deserialization in pandas 1.0.3 and earlier allows attackers to execute operating-system commands through an untrusted pickle file. read_pickle() passes the file to Python's pickle loader, which invokes an attacker-controlled reduce callable such as os.system during object reconstruction. Exploitation requires an application or user to pass attacker-controlled pickle data to read_pickle(); pandas documents this operation as unsafe and disputes that the behavior is a vulnerability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-13091
Published
May 15, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-502
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 15, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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