---
id: CVE-2026-120859
title: >-
  PyMoDAQ before 5.3.10 Arbitrary Code Execution via Crafted HDF5, Dock Layout,
  and XML Settings Files
summary: >-
  PyMoDAQ before 4.4.13, and pymodaq_data, pymodaq_gui, and pymodaq_utils before
  5.1.15, 5.2.x before 5.2.14, and 5.3.x before 5.3.10, contain deserialization
  of untrusted data and eval injection vulnerabilities that allow attackers to
  exe…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-502
  - CWE-95
vendor: PyMoDAQ
product: PyMoDAQ
affected:
  - PyMoDAQ < 4.4.13
  - pymodaq_data < 5.1.15
  - pymodaq_data >= 5.2.0 < 5.2.14
  - pymodaq_data >= 5.3.0 < 5.3.10
  - pymodaq_gui < 5.1.15
  - pymodaq_gui >= 5.2.0 < 5.2.14
  - pymodaq_gui >= 5.3.0 < 5.3.10
  - pymodaq_utils < 5.1.15
  - pymodaq_utils >= 5.2.0 < 5.2.14
  - pymodaq_utils >= 5.3.0 < 5.3.10
published: '2026-11-05'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T17:14:58.101Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-120859'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-jw9g-5c9x-cf84'
    label: GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-jw9g-5c9x-cf84)
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/commit/6c7fff74d82624c640bd79513f5b4675ea6d88da
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/commit/3bf9042a58f5d4870a2b45fe2c9423aafe6b9203
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/commit/ae0042513eb979c84da690825902658c625718d1
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/commit/041e8a22b3dbe3c986ec0ea3c6b46a22f5efe374
  - url: 'https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/releases/tag/5.3.10'
    label: PyMoDAQ 5.3.10 Release Notes
  - url: 'https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/releases/tag/5.2.14'
    label: PyMoDAQ 5.2.14 Release Notes
  - url: 'https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/releases/tag/5.1.15'
    label: PyMoDAQ 5.1.15 Release Notes
  - url: 'https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/releases/tag/4.4.13'
    label: PyMoDAQ 4.4.13 Release Notes
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/PyMoDAQ/PyMoDAQ/blob/5.3.9/packages/pymodaq_data/src/pymodaq_data/h5modules/backends.py#L477-L478
  - url: >-
      https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/pymodaq-before-5.3.10-arbitrary-code-execution-via-crafted-hdf5-dock-layout-and-xml-settings-files
    label: >-
      VulnCheck Advisory: PyMoDAQ before 5.3.10 Arbitrary Code Execution via
      Crafted HDF5, Dock Layout, and XML Settings Files
tags:
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:31.429Z'
---

## Overview

PyMoDAQ before 4.4.13, and pymodaq_data, pymodaq_gui, and pymodaq_utils before 5.1.15, 5.2.x before 5.2.14, and 5.3.x before 5.3.10, contain deserialization of untrusted data and eval injection vulnerabilities that allow attackers to execute arbitrary code by supplying crafted files that a user opens. Attackers can store pickled objects in HDF5 string nodes that StringARRAY.array_to_string() passes to pickle.loads() when the node is browsed or read, place Python expressions in HDF5 attributes that JsonConverter.json2object() evaluates, supply a .dock file that load_layout_state() unpickles from the Dashboard Load layout action, or embed Python expressions in XML settings files that elt_to_dict() and set_txt_from_elt() evaluate.

## Affected

- `PyMoDAQ < 4.4.13`
- `pymodaq_data < 5.1.15`
- `pymodaq_data >= 5.2.0 < 5.2.14`
- `pymodaq_data >= 5.3.0 < 5.3.10`
- `pymodaq_gui < 5.1.15`
- `pymodaq_gui >= 5.2.0 < 5.2.14`
- `pymodaq_gui >= 5.3.0 < 5.3.10`
- `pymodaq_utils < 5.1.15`
- `pymodaq_utils >= 5.2.0 < 5.2.14`
- `pymodaq_utils >= 5.3.0 < 5.3.10`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.