CVE-2023-45805: pdm is a Python package and dependency manager supporting the latest PEP standards. It's possible to craft a malicious `pdm.lock` file that could allo...

Description

pdm is a Python package and dependency manager supporting the latest PEP standards. It's possible to craft a malicious `pdm.lock` file that could allow e.g. an insider or a malicious open source project to appear to depend on a trusted PyPI project, but actually install another project. A project `foo` can be targeted by creating the project `foo-2` and uploading the file `foo-2-2.tar.gz` to pypi.org. PyPI will see this as project `foo-2` version `2`, while PDM will see this as project `foo` version `2-2`. The version must only be `parseable as a version` and the filename must be a prefix of the project name, but it's not verified to match the version being installed. Version `2-2` is also not a valid normalized version per PEP 440. Matching the project name exactly (not just prefix) would fix the issue. When installing dependencies with PDM, what's actually installed could differ from what's listed in `pyproject.toml` (including arbitrary code execution on install). It could also be used for downgrade attacks by only changing the version. This issue has been addressed in commit `6853e2642df` which is included in release version `2.9.4`. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.51%

39.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-20

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Frostming	Pdm	>= 2.0.0, < 2.10.0
Frostming	Unearth	< 0.11.2

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 20, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-45805?

pdm is a Python package and dependency manager supporting the latest PEP standards. It's possible to craft a malicious `pdm.lock` file that could allow e.g. an insider or a malicious open source project to appear to depend on a trusted PyPI project, but actually install another project. A project `foo` can be targeted by creating the project `foo-2` and uploading the file `foo-2-2.tar.gz` to pypi.org. PyPI will see this as project `foo-2` version `2`, while PDM will see this as project `foo` version `2-2`. The version must only be `parseable as a version` and the filename must be a prefix of the project name, but it's not verified to match the version being installed. Version `2-2` is also not a valid normalized version per PEP 440. Matching the project name exactly (not just prefix) would fix the issue. When installing dependencies with PDM, what's actually installed could differ from what's listed in `pyproject.toml` (including arbitrary code execution on install). It could also be used for downgrade attacks by only changing the version. This issue has been addressed in commit `6853e2642df` which is included in release version `2.9.4`. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

How severe is CVE-2023-45805?

CVE-2023-45805 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.51% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-45805?

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.