CVE-2026-57516
Description
A flaw was found in Ray. This unsafe deserialization vulnerability in the WebDataset reader allows a remote attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution. By supplying a specially crafted malicious tar archive to the read_webdataset() function, an attacker can trigger the unconditional deserialization of .pkl/.pickle or .pt/.pth entries, leading to the execution of arbitrary code within Ray remote workers.
Statement
This Important vulnerability in Ray's WebDataset reader allows for remote code execution. An attacker could exploit this by providing a specially crafted tar archive to the read_webdataset() function, leading to arbitrary code execution within Ray remote workers. This risk is present in Red Hat environments where Ray is deployed to process untrusted data archives, as the deserialization of malicious content occurs unconditionally.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, restrict the processing of untrusted tar archives by the Ray WebDataset reader. Ensure that only verified and trusted data sources are supplied to the `read_webdataset()` function. Implement strict access controls and input validation for data ingestion pipelines that interact with Ray's WebDataset reader to prevent the introduction of malicious archives.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 8.8 | N/A | 8.8 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Application Data; Unexpected State
Attackers can modify unexpected objects or data that was assumed to be safe from modification. Deserialized data or code could be modified without using the provided accessor functions, or unexpected functions could be invoked.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
If a function is making an assumption on when to terminate, based on a sentry in a string, it could easily never terminate.
Other
Technical Impact: Varies by Context
The consequences can vary widely, because it depends on which objects or methods are being deserialized, and how they are used. Making an assumption that the code in the deserialized object is valid is dangerous and can enable exploitation. One example is attackers using gadget chains to perform unauthorized actions, such as generating a shell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
