huggingface/sentence-transformers · Security
sentence-transformers local model loading bypasses trust_remote_code and executes custom Python
- GHSA ID
- GHSA-jhr6-gm9c-rqjv
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-68770
- Severity
- critical
- Published
- Updated
- CVSS
- 9.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CVSS v3
- 9.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CVSS v4
- 9.3 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Description
sentence-transformers contains a security control bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution by exploiting a logic flaw in the import_module_class helper within sentence_transformers/util/misc.py, where the guard condition includes an 'or os.path.exists(model_name_or_path)' clause that satisfies the trust gate whenever the supplied path exists on the local filesystem, regardless of the trust_remote_code=False argument. Attackers who can control or influence the contents of a model directory on disk can place malicious Python files such as modeling_*.py referenced via modules.json, causing the code to execute at import time when an application loads the model with SentenceTransformer(path, trust_remote_code=False), bypassing the documented security contract and achieving code execution within the loading process.
CWEs
- CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68770 ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/issues/3801 ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/pull/3807 ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/commit/ae1acc3fb2aa2004577b297eb4a915ce7a03316a ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers ↗
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/sentence-transformers-arbitrary-code-execution-on-local-model-load-despite-trust-remote-code-false ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/pull/3935 ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/commit/626eb602b088878a8173bcab69225f68411b99e1 ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.6.0 ↗
- https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v6.0.0 ↗
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jhr6-gm9c-rqjv ↗