Keras: Lambda deserialization can bypass safe mode and execute code
A vulnerability in keras-team/keras version 3.14.0 allows for arbitrary code execution due to improper handling of deserialization in the Lambda layer. Specifically, the _raise_for_lambda_deserialization() function fails to enforce the safe-mode guard when safe_mode is set to None, which is the default value when from_config() is called outside of a SafeModeScope context. This logic error conflates None (unset/default-deny) with False (explicitly disabled), bypassing the guard and allowing attacker-controlled marshal bytecode to be deserialized. Affected call sites include keras.layers.deserialize(config), keras.models.clone_model(model), and any direct invocation of Lambda.from_config(config) without an enclosing SafeModeScope(True). This vulnerability can be exploited to achieve arbitrary OS-level code execution in the context of the server or user process.
Affected versions
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| keras PyPI | < 3.12.3 | 3.12.3 |
| >= 3.13.0, < 3.15.0 | 3.15.0 |
Details and references
- CVSS 3.0
- CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Severity from
- GitHub (reviewed advisory)
- Weakness
- CWE-502
- Also known as
- CVE-2026-12481, PYSEC-2026-3631
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-12481
- github.com/keras-team/keras/pull/23048
- github.com/keras-team/keras/pull/23165
- github.com/keras-team/keras/commit/55888d3becbdbb45dc16a55b489900f911e2dde5
- github.com/keras-team/keras/commit/d338a45204bdc787c8b3c4a9b82c1911cd52dedf
- github.com/keras-team/keras
- github.com/keras-team/keras/releases/tag/v3.12.3
- github.com/keras-team/keras/releases/tag/v3.15.0
- huntr.com/bounties/59ceaed1-c8a3-4135-8f94-169ade02823d