python / python/cpython

marshal.dumps() crashes when an item's __buffer__ concurrently mutates the container

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3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 interpreter-core type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

marshal.dumps() can crash the interpreter when serializing a list, dict
or set containing an item that supports the buffer protocol, if the item's
__buffer__() (PEP 688) concurrently mutates the container being serialized.

w_complex_object() hands each item to w_object(), which for a buffer item
reaches PyObject_GetBuffer() and runs the item's __buffer__() — arbitrary
Python that can clear, shrink, grow, or drop the last reference to the
container (or to a borrowed key/value) while it is still being iterated.

Reproducer

import marshal

class Evil:
    def __buffer__(self, flags):
        container.clear()        # mutate the container mid-serialization
        return memoryview(bytearray(4))

container = {Evil(), 1, 2, 3}    # also reproduces with list and dict
marshal.dumps(container)

On a debug build the set case aborts at assert(i == n); the dict and
list cases segfault through a use-after-free or an out-of-bounds read, and a
set whose element instead grows the set writes past the pairs buffer that
was pre-sized to the original length.

Notes

This is a robustness issue, not a security vulnerability: triggering it
requires a custom __buffer__() — i.e. the ability to run arbitrary in-process
Python — and marshal is
documented as not intended
for serializing untrusted data.

Same family as the recently fixed bytes.join crash in gh-151295.

Linked PRs
  • gh-151371

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start at w_complex_object() and w_object(), then inspect how PyObject_GetBuffer() can run buffer() during list, dict, and set serialization. Reproduce the supplied cases on a debug build and verify that mutating the container no longer causes an abort, use-after-free, out-of-bounds read, or buffer overrun.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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