CVE-2024-31224
Published: 08 April 2024
Summary
CVE-2024-31224 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Binary-Husky Gpt Academic. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 12.5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
This vulnerability is AI-related — categorised as Enterprise AI Assistants; in the Other ATLAS/OWASP Terms risk domain; MITRE ATLAS techniques in scope: AML.T0022, Exfiltration via AI Inference API (AML.T0024), AML.T0027.
Deeper analysis
CVE-2024-31224 is a remote code execution vulnerability caused by unsafe deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502) in GPT Academic, an application that provides interactive web interfaces for large language models. The flaw affects versions 3.64 through 3.73; any instance exposing the service to the network is impacted. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 9.8, reflecting network attack vector, no required credentials or user interaction, and full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can supply a malicious serialized payload to the server, resulting in arbitrary code execution on the host. Because the service is typically deployed as a user-facing web application, exposure to the internet directly enables this vector without additional prerequisites.
The official GitHub Security Advisory and accompanying patch in version 3.74 address the issue by correcting the deserialization logic. No other workarounds are documented; administrators must upgrade to the fixed release.
GPT Academic is an LLM-interfacing tool, placing the vulnerability in an AI/ML-adjacent software category. The associated EPSS score reached a modest peak of 0.0583 before receding to the current value of 0.0332, indicating limited and non-persistent exploitation interest after disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-29120
Vulnerability details
GPT Academic provides interactive interfaces for large language models. A vulnerability was found in gpt_academic versions 3.64 through 3.73. The server deserializes untrustworthy data from the client, which may risk remote code execution. Any device that exposes the GPT Academic…
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service to the Internet is vulnerable. Version 3.74 contains a patch for the issue. There are no known workarounds aside from upgrading to a patched version.
- CWE(s)
AI Security AnalysisAI
- AI Category
- Enterprise AI Assistants
- Risk Domain
- Other ATLAS/OWASP Terms
- OWASP Top 10 for LLMs 2025
- None mapped
- Classification Reason
- GPT Academic is an interactive interface for large language models (LLMs), fitting the Enterprise AI Assistants category as it provides user-facing tools for AI model interaction.
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Unsafe deserialization of untrustworthy client data in the public-facing GPT Academic server enables remote code execution.
MITRE ATLAS TechniquesAI
MITRE ATLAS techniques
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.