CVE-2014-8165
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedscripts/amsvis/powerpcAMS/amsnet.py in powerpc-utils-python uses the pickle Python module unsafely, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted serialized object.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe amsnet.py script in powerpc-utils-python uses Python's pickle module to deserialize data without validation. Because pickle can execute arbitrary code during deserialization, a remote attacker can craft a malicious serialized object to achieve remote code execution on the system.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE dataall versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if powerpc-utils-python is installedRun 'rpm -qa | grep -i powerpc-utils' (RHEL) or 'dpkg -l | grep -i powerpc' (Debian) or look for the package in your system's package managerAffected if The package is installed
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Locate the amsnet.py scriptFind the file using 'find / -name amsnet.py 2>/dev/null' or check typical paths like /usr/share/powerpc-utils/ or the package's installation directoryAffected if The amsnet.py file exists on the system
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Inspect amsnet.py for pickle usageRead the amsnet.py file and search for 'import pickle' or 'from pickle import' statements, then check how pickle.load() or pickle.loads() is being calledAffected if The script imports and uses pickle module for deserialization
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Verify if deserialized data comes from untrusted sourcesExamine the code around pickle operations to determine if the data being deserialized originates from network input, user-provided files, or other untrusted sourcesAffected if The script deserializes data from network connections, files, or other untrusted input without validation
If powerpc-utils-python is installed with amsnet.py using pickle to deserialize untrusted or network data, the system is affected by this vulnerability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataReplace pickle with a safe serialization format like JSON, or if pickle is required, implement cryptographic HMAC signing of serialized data and validate before deserialization.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-8165 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-8165 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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