Security Resilience

CVE-2024-11394

RCE in Huggingface Transformers ≤ 4.48.0

Published
22 November 2024
Modified
10 February 2025
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.026 85th percentile
Risk Priority 88 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2024-11394 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Huggingface Transformers. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 15% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

This vulnerability is AI-related — categorised as NLP and Transformers; in the Supply Chain and Deployment risk domain.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2024-11394 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Hugging Face Transformers stemming from unsafe deserialization of untrusted data when processing Trax model files. The flaw, tracked as ZDI-CAN-25012 and assigned CWE-502, arises from insufficient validation of user-supplied model data, enabling arbitrary code execution on affected installations. It carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8.

Remote attackers can exploit the issue by supplying a malicious model file or hosting a malicious page that the target must open or visit, resulting in code execution under the privileges of the current user. No authentication is required beyond this user interaction.

The Zero Day Initiative advisory ZDI-24-1515 addresses the vulnerability and is the primary public reference for affected versions and remediation guidance.

The affected component is part of the Hugging Face Transformers library used in machine-learning workflows. The EPSS score has reached 0.6505 without a documented rise from a lower baseline.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Hugging Face Transformers Trax Model Deserialization of Untrusted Data Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Hugging Face Transformers. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the…

more

target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of model files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in deserialization of untrusted data. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-25012.

CWE(s)

AI Security AnalysisAI

AI Category
NLP and Transformers
Risk Domain
Supply Chain and Deployment
OWASP Top 10 for LLMs 2025
None mapped
Classification Reason
Hugging Face Transformers is a library for NLP and Transformer models, and the vulnerability specifically affects deserialization of Trax model files within it.

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control
Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access
Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-3568Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2025-14921Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2024-11392Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2025-14920Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2023-7018Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2025-14930Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2025-14924Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2023-6730Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2024-11393Same product: Huggingface Transformers
CVE-2025-14929Same product: Huggingface Transformers

Affected Assets

huggingface
transformers
≤ 4.48.0

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can uncover deserialization flaws before deployment.

Input validation directly stops deserialization of untrusted data by ensuring inputs are valid before processing.

Engineering principles such as safe deserialization and input sanitization structurally prevent the weakness from being introduced.

Integrity verification tools can detect malformed or tampered serialized data after the fact.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-02 none match
blocks

PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

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References