CVE-2026-55830: CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs in zopefoundation RestrictedPython
Description
### Impact RestrictedPython rewrites sensitive operations to go through guard hooks. Attribute access becomes `_getattr_(obj, name)`, item access becomes `_getitem_(obj, key)`, writes go through `_write_`, and print goes through `_print_`. The embedding application supplies these hooks to enforce its policy. Argument-name validation rejects these protected names for regular arguments, `*args`, `**kwargs`, and keyword-only arguments, but it misses positional-only arguments (the ones before `/`). So a function like: ```python def f(_getattr_=evil, /): return o.x ``` makes `_getattr_` a local that shadows the policy hook, and the rewritten access calls `evil` instead. The same works for `_getitem_`, `_write_`, and `_print_`. Shadowing `_print_` can also be used to capture the internal `_getattr_` hook that RestrictedPython passes in. The result is that sandboxed code can bypass the access policy the embedding application relies on. In applications that also handle sandbox-controlled objects unsafely (for example serializing them with pickle), this primitive can be chained further, up to remote code execution. That part depends on the embedding application, but the underlying guard bypass is in RestrictedPython. ### Proof of concept On an unpatched RestrictedPython this prints `shadowed` and an empty `calls` list, meaning the policy `_getattr_` never ran. With the fix, `compile_restricted` rejects the code. ```python from RestrictedPython import compile_restricted from RestrictedPython.Guards import safe_globals, safer_getattr calls = [] def policy_getattr(obj, name, default=None): calls.append(name) # the real guard records every access return safer_getattr(obj, name, default) src = """ def f(o, _getattr_=lambda obj, name: "shadowed", /): return o.x """ code = compile_restricted(src, "<s>", "exec") # currently compiles, should be rejected g = dict(safe_globals) g["_getattr_"] = policy_getattr exec(code, g) class O: x = "secret" print(g["f"](O())) # -> "shadowed" (attacker's local was used) print(calls) # -> [] (policy _getattr_ never ran) ``` ### Patches The fix validates positional-only argument names the same way the other argument kinds are already validated. It will ship in the next release. ### Workarounds None other than upgrading. If you cannot upgrade immediately, reject any submitted code whose function or lambda definitions use positional-only parameters with leading-underscore names before compiling.
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.3high
Affected software
zopefoundation
RestrictedPython
Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in zopefoundation's RestrictedPython involves an incomplete list of disallowed inputs in the function check_function_argument_names(). While regular, variadic, and keyword-only arguments are checked to reject protected guard hook names, positional-only arguments were omitted from this validation prior to version 8.3. This flaw allows an attacker to shadow critical guard hook names with local parameters, thereby bypassing access controls enforced by the embedding application. The vulnerability is identified as CWE-184 (Incomplete Control of a Resource Through its Lifetime) and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.3, indicating high severity. The issue is fixed in RestrictedPython version 8.3.
Potential Impact
Exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker with high privileges and user interaction to bypass access policies in applications embedding RestrictedPython by shadowing protected guard hook names with positional-only parameters. This can lead to complete compromise of confidentiality and integrity, with limited impact on availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to RestrictedPython version 8.3 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Patch status is confirmed by the vendor advisory indicating the issue is resolved in version 8.3. No additional mitigations are specified.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-17T16:29:38.864Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a4ec4a5c9d9e3dbe3c8d493
Added to database: 07/08/2026, 21:44:05 UTC
Last enriched: 07/16/2026, 10:11:46 UTC
Last updated: 10/06/2026, 18:48:23 UTC
Views: 141
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.