NVFLARE unsafe deserialization due to Pickle
Impact
NVFLARE contains a vulnerability where deserialization of Untrusted Data due to Pickle usage may allow an unprivileged network attacker to cause Remote Code Execution, Denial Of Service, and Impact to both Confidentiality and Integrity.
All versions before 2.1.4 are affected.
CVSS Score = 9.8
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Patches
The patch is included in nvflare==2.1.4 This new version uses MessagePack instead of Pickle to do serialization and deserialization.
Some object serializations supported by Pickle are not supported by MessagePack. We have provided out of box support for some built-in NVFLARE objects. For object serializations unsupported by MessagePack, the user will need to convert the objects to numpy or bytes before sending over to remote machines. The list of supported object types are listed in https://github.com/NVIDIA/NVFlare/blob/2.1/nvflare/fuel/utils/fobs/README.rst
Workarounds
No workarounds available.
Additional information
Issue Found by: Oliver Sellwood (Nintorac) and Elias Hohl
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | nvflare | < 2.1.4 | 2.1.4 |
References
- https://github.com/NVIDIA/NVFlare/security/advisories/GHSA-6qv6-q77g-7qm6
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-34668
- https://github.com/NVIDIA/NVFlare/commit/6cde16f3f4711583ae4d896dfcc125d25c7d5b0d
- https://github.com/NVIDIA/NVFlare
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/nvflare/PYSEC-2022-257.yaml
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171483/NVFLARE-Unsafe-Deserialization.html
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-502- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
nvflare- Disclosed
- 29.08.2022
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2022-257 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-6qv6-q77g-7qm6 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: nvflare
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 5
- First → latest
- 03.2022 04.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 4
- High 1
Disclosures per year
- 2022: 4
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 1
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