CVE-2020-13091

Name: CVE-2020-13091
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-05-15T19:15:12.167+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 3.39%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-13091 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. pandas through 1.0.3 can unserialize and execute commands from an untrusted file that is passed to the read_pickle() function, if __reduce__ makes an os.system call. NOTE: third parties dispute this issue because the read_pickle() function is documented as unsafe and it is the user's responsibility to use the function in a secure manner. EPSS estimates a 3.39% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

pandas through 1.0.3 can unserialize and execute commands from an untrusted file that is passed to the read_pickle() function, if __reduce__ makes an os.system call. NOTE: third parties dispute this issue because the read_pickle() function is documented as unsafe and it is the user's responsibility to use the function in a secure manner

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

3.39%

87.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-502

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Numfocus	Pandas	<= 1.0.3

References

https://github.com/0FuzzingQ/vuln/blob/master/pandas%20unserialize.mdExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/reference/api/pandas.read_pickle.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/0FuzzingQ/vuln/blob/master/pandas%20unserialize.mdExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/reference/api/pandas.read_pickle.htmlThird Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 15, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-13091?

How severe is CVE-2020-13091?

CVE-2020-13091 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.39% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-13091?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-13091?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST