mediumCVSS 5.5Vulnerability

GHSA-9w56-46f6-3qhx

### Summary With its default configuration (numpy enabled, `import` disabled), asteval's `Interpreter` lets an attacker-controlled expression obtain a raw **arbitrary process-memory read and write** primitive, without using `import`, any `__dunder__` attribute, or `eval`/`exec`/`getattr`. Arbitrary in-process read/write is equivalent to arbitrary code execution and is a complete escape of the sandbox whose entire purpose is "untrusted string in, no arbitrary execution out." Any application that feeds untrusted input to asteval with numpy installed (the default) is affected. ### Details asteval's attribute filter (`asteval/astutils.py: safe_getattr`) blocks every `__dunder__` name and blocks objects whose attribute value is *identity-equal* to one of the modules in `UNSAFE_MODULES = {io, os, sys, ctypes}`. The `ctypes` **module** entry was added recently (commit 9d9d430) and correctly blocks `ndarray.ctypes._ctypes`. However, the module check is identity-only against the ctypes *module*. It does not cover ctypes **type objects** and their metaclass methods, which are reachable through numpy's `ndarray.ctypes` wrapper using only ordinary (non-dunder) attribute names: zeros(1, dtype=int32).ctypes.shape._type_ -> <class 'ctypes.c_long'> `ndarray.ctypes` exposes `.shape` (a ctypes array) whose element type `._type_` is `ctypes.c_long`. None of `ctypes`, `.shape`, `._type_` is a dunder, none is in `UNSAFE_ATTRS`, and the returned value is a *type*, not the ctypes module, so `safe_getattr` permits all of them. On that ctypes type, the metaclass method `from_address` is reachable (non-dunder, not in `UNSAFE_ATTRS`; it is not even listed by `dir()`, which is likely why it was missed): * **Arbitrary read:** `c_long.from_address(addr).value` reads 8 bytes at any address. `id()` (a permitted builtin) supplies arbitrary object addresses. * **Arbitrary write:** `cell = c_long.from_address(addr); cell.value = X` writes 8 bytes to any address. The write half rides a

Properties

ghsa_id
GHSA-9w56-46f6-3qhx
severity
medium
summary
asteval Sandbox Escape: arbitrary native memory read/write via numpy ctypes in default asteval Interpreter
cvss_score
5.5
cve_id
GHSA-9w56-46f6-3qhx
cvss_vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
is_ghsa_only
true
ghsa_published
2026-08-20T17:26:52Z
source_url
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9w56-46f6-3qhx
ghsa_updated
2026-08-20T17:26:53Z

Related Entities (6)

HAS_WEAKNESS (3)

[Weakness]Improper Control of Dynamically-Managed Code Resources
[Weakness]Protection Mechanism Failure
[Weakness]Exposed Dangerous Method or Function

REPORTED_BY (1)

[Source]GitHub Advisory Database

VULNERABLE_TO (1)

[Software]pip/asteval

AFFECTS (1)

[Software]pip/asteval

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GHSA-9w56-46f6-3qhx (CVSS 5.5) — Ninja Signal Threat Intelligence | Ninja Signal