CVE-2025-62373

Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building real-time voice and multimodal conversational agents. Versions 0.0.41 through 0.0.93 have a vulnerability in LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload. Version 0.0.94 contains a fix. Users of Pipecat should avoid or replace unsafe deserialization and improve network security configuration. The best mitigation is to stop using the vulnerable LivekitFrameSerializer altogether. Those who require LiveKit functionality should upgrade to the latest Pipecat version and switch to the recommended LiveKitTransport or another secure method provided by the framework. Additionally, always follow secure coding practices: never trust client-supplied data, and avoid Python pickle (or similar unsafe deserialization) in network-facing components.

Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building real-time voice and multimodal conversational agents. Versions 0.0.41 through 0.0.93 have a vulnerability in LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload. Version 0.0.94 contains a fix. Users of Pipecat should avoid or replace unsafe deserialization and improve network security configuration. The best mitigation is to stop using the vulnerable LivekitFrameSerializer altogether. Those who require LiveKit functionality should upgrade to the latest Pipecat version and switch to the recommended LiveKitTransport or another secure method provided by the framework. Additionally, always follow secure coding practices: never trust client-supplied data, and avoid Python pickle (or similar unsafe deserialization) in network-facing components.

Remote Code Execution via Unsafe Deserialization in Pipecat's LivekitFrameSerializer

Summary

A critical vulnerability exists in Pipecat's LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload.

Details

The LivekitFrameSerializer is a serializer meant to convert between Pipecat audio frames and LiveKit's audio frame format. It is not enabled by default – developers would have to explicitly use this serializer. In Pipecat version 0.0.90, this class was officially deprecated in favor of a safer LiveKitTransport method, but it remains in the code for backward compatibility. The vulnerability arises in how it handles incoming data: the deserialize() method blindly unpickles whatever byte stream it receives over the WebSocket. Below is a snippet illustrating the core issue in the LivekitFrameSerializer.deserialize implementation:

Vulnerable code in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py:

async def deserialize(self, data: str | bytes) -> Frame | None:
    # ... (docstring omitted for brevity)
    audio_frame: AudioFrame = pickle.loads(data)["frame"]   # Unsafely deserializing untrusted data
    return InputAudioRawFrame(
        audio=bytes(audio_frame.data),
        sample_rate=audio_frame.sample_rate,
        num_channels=audio_frame.num_channels,
    )

Python's pickle.loads will execute arbitrary code if the input data is a maliciously crafted pickle object. In this case, an attacker can exploit the LivekitFrameSerializer by sending a pickle payload that, when deserialized, runs attacker-controlled code on the server. The serializer assumes the data contains a LiveKit AudioFrame object (possibly in a dictionary with key "frame"), but does not verify the content or source. As a result, any object with a malicious __reduce__ or other pickle protocol methods will be executed upon deserialization. This is a known risk: pickle should never be used on untrusted data.

In summary, whenever LivekitFrameSerializer is active, any client that can connect to the Pipecat WebSocket can send a specially crafted pickle binary. Upon receiving it, Pipecat will call pickle.loads, immediately executing the payload's code. This can lead to a full compromise of the Pipecat server process, allowing attackers to run arbitrary commands or take control of the host system with the privileges of the Pipecat service.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

The following proof-of-concept demonstrates how an attacker could exploit this vulnerability. It involves two steps: (1) running a Pipecat WebSocket server using the vulnerable serializer, and (2) sending a malicious pickle from a client.

Start a Pipecat WebSocket server with the LivekitFrameSerializer enabled – for example, by binding the server to all network interfaces (0.0.0.0) on port 8765. In a Pipecat application, this might be done by specifying the LiveKit serializer in the WebSocket transport parameters. For illustration, the code snippet below starts a server:

import asyncio
import websockets
from pipecat.serializers.livekit import LivekitFrameSerializer

serializer = LivekitFrameSerializer()

async def handler(ws):
  …

Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building real-time voice and multimodal conversational agents. Versions 0.0.41 through 0.0.93 have a vulnerability in LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload. Version 0.0.94 contains a fix. Users of Pipecat should avoid or replace unsafe deserialization and improve network security configuration. The best mitigation is to stop using the vulnerable LivekitFrameSerializer altogether. Those who require LiveKit functionality should upgrade to the latest Pipecat version and switch to the recommended LiveKitTransport or another secure method provided by the framework. Additionally, always follow secure coding practices: never trust client-supplied data, and avoid Python pickle (or similar unsafe deserialization) in network-facing components.

Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building real-time voice and multimodal conversational agents. Versions 0.0.41 through 0.0.93 have a vulnerability in LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload. Version 0.0.94 contains a fix. Users of Pipecat should avoid or replace unsafe deserialization and improve network security configuration. The best mitigation is to stop using the vulnerable LivekitFrameSerializer altogether. Those who require LiveKit functionality should upgrade to the latest Pipecat version and switch to the recommended LiveKitTransport or another secure method provided by the framework. Additionally, always follow secure coding practices: never trust client-supplied data, and avoid Python pickle (or similar unsafe deserialization) in network-facing components.

Remote Code Execution via Unsafe Deserialization in Pipecat's LivekitFrameSerializer

Summary

A critical vulnerability exists in Pipecat's LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload.

Details

The LivekitFrameSerializer is a serializer meant to convert between Pipecat audio frames and LiveKit's audio frame format. It is not enabled by default – developers would have to explicitly use this serializer. In Pipecat version 0.0.90, this class was officially deprecated in favor of a safer LiveKitTransport method, but it remains in the code for backward compatibility. The vulnerability arises in how it handles incoming data: the deserialize() method blindly unpickles whatever byte stream it receives over the WebSocket. Below is a snippet illustrating the core issue in the LivekitFrameSerializer.deserialize implementation:

Vulnerable code in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py:

async def deserialize(self, data: str | bytes) -> Frame | None:
    # ... (docstring omitted for brevity)
    audio_frame: AudioFrame = pickle.loads(data)["frame"]   # Unsafely deserializing untrusted data
    return InputAudioRawFrame(
        audio=bytes(audio_frame.data),
        sample_rate=audio_frame.sample_rate,
        num_channels=audio_frame.num_channels,
    )

Python's pickle.loads will execute arbitrary code if the input data is a maliciously crafted pickle object. In this case, an attacker can exploit the LivekitFrameSerializer by sending a pickle payload that, when deserialized, runs attacker-controlled code on the server. The serializer assumes the data contains a LiveKit AudioFrame object (possibly in a dictionary with key "frame"), but does not verify the content or source. As a result, any object with a malicious __reduce__ or other pickle protocol methods will be executed upon deserialization. This is a known risk: pickle should never be used on untrusted data.

In summary, whenever LivekitFrameSerializer is active, any client that can connect to the Pipecat WebSocket can send a specially crafted pickle binary. Upon receiving it, Pipecat will call pickle.loads, immediately executing the payload's code. This can lead to a full compromise of the Pipecat server process, allowing attackers to run arbitrary commands or take control of the host system with the privileges of the Pipecat service.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

The following proof-of-concept demonstrates how an attacker could exploit this vulnerability. It involves two steps: (1) running a Pipecat WebSocket server using the vulnerable serializer, and (2) sending a malicious pickle from a client.

Start a Pipecat WebSocket server with the LivekitFrameSerializer enabled – for example, by binding the server to all network interfaces (0.0.0.0) on port 8765. In a Pipecat application, this might be done by specifying the LiveKit serializer in the WebSocket transport parameters. For illustration, the code snippet below starts a server:

import asyncio
import websockets
from pipecat.serializers.livekit import LivekitFrameSerializer

serializer = LivekitFrameSerializer()

async def handler(ws):
  …

Remote Code Execution via Unsafe Deserialization in Pipecat's LivekitFrameSerializer

Summary

A critical vulnerability exists in Pipecat's LivekitFrameSerializer – an optional, non-default, undocumented frame serializer class (now deprecated) intended for LiveKit integration. The class's deserialize() method uses Python's pickle.loads() on data received from WebSocket clients without any validation or sanitization. This means that a malicious WebSocket client can send a crafted pickle payload to execute arbitrary code on the Pipecat server. The vulnerable code resides in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py (around line 73), where untrusted WebSocket message data is passed directly into pickle.loads() for deserialization. If a Pipecat server is configured to use LivekitFrameSerializer and is listening on an external interface (e.g. 0.0.0.0), an attacker on the network (or the internet, if the service is exposed) could achieve remote code execution (RCE) on the server by sending a malicious pickle payload.

Details

The LivekitFrameSerializer is a serializer meant to convert between Pipecat audio frames and LiveKit's audio frame format. It is not enabled by default – developers would have to explicitly use this serializer. In Pipecat version 0.0.90, this class was officially deprecated in favor of a safer LiveKitTransport method, but it remains in the code for backward compatibility. The vulnerability arises in how it handles incoming data: the deserialize() method blindly unpickles whatever byte stream it receives over the WebSocket. Below is a snippet illustrating the core issue in the LivekitFrameSerializer.deserialize implementation:

Vulnerable code in src/pipecat/serializers/livekit.py:

 async def deserialize(self, data: str | bytes) -> Frame | None:
    # ... (docstring omitted for brevity)
    audio_frame: AudioFrame = pickle.loads(data)["frame"]   # Unsafely deserializing untrusted data
    return InputAudioRawFrame(
        audio=bytes(audio_frame.data),
        sample_rate=audio_frame.sample_rate,
        num_channels=audio_frame.num_channels,
    )

Python's pickle.loads will execute arbitrary code if the input data is a maliciously crafted pickle object. In this case, an attacker can exploit the LivekitFrameSerializer by sending a pickle payload that, when deserialized, runs attacker-controlled code on the server. The serializer assumes the data contains a LiveKit AudioFrame object (possibly in a dictionary with key "frame"), but does not verify the content or source. As a result, any object with a malicious __reduce__ or other pickle protocol methods will be executed upon deserialization. This is a known risk: pickle should never be used on untrusted data.

In summary, whenever LivekitFrameSerializer is active, any client that can connect to the Pipecat WebSocket can send a specially crafted pickle binary. Upon receiving it, Pipecat will call pickle.loads, immediately executing the payload's code. This can lead to a full compromise of the Pipecat server process, allowing attackers to run arbitrary commands or take control of the host system with the privileges of the Pipecat service.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

The following proof-of-concept demonstrates how an attacker could exploit this vulnerability. It involves two steps: (1) running a Pipecat WebSocket server using the vulnerable serializer, and (2) sending a malicious pickle from a client.

Start a Pipecat WebSocket server with the LivekitFrameSerializer enabled – for example, by binding the server to all network interfaces (0.0.0.0) on port 8765. In a Pipecat application, this might be done by specifying the LiveKit serializer in the WebSocket transport parameters. For illustration, the code snippet below starts a server:

import asyncio
import websockets
from pipecat.serializers.livekit import LivekitFrameSerializer

serializer = LivekitFrameSerializer()

async def handler(ws):…