Individual skill
detecting-insecure-deserialization
Scan a source tree for unsafe-by-default deserialization APIs: Python pickle.loads / cPickle / shelve / dill, Ruby Marshal.load / YAML.load (pre-3.1 default), Java ObjectInputStream.readObject, PHP unserialize, .NET BinaryFormatter / NetDataContractSerializer, Node.js node-serialize, JavaScript JSON.parse with reviver containing eval. Use when: pre-commit gate on services that accept binary blobs, audit of legacy job-queue code (workers deserializing tasks), post-bug-report when "we accept user-uploaded archives." Threshold: any call to a known-unsafe deserialization API on data that originates from user input, network, file upload, or untrusted storage. Trigger with: "scan deserialization", "pickle audit", "java readObject scan", "yaml.load check".
skills/.curated/detecting-insecure-deserialization/SKILL.md
Source commit 0500b275e963c027f6b410e8c49c0446945c574e
What was checked
- Matches the observed repository HEAD
- Yes
- Scanner rules are current
- No
- Repository scan complete
- No
- Skill scan complete
- No
- Observed behavior
- Not checked yet
- Last checked
- Nov 12, 2026
These are observations at the recorded commit, not a guarantee of safety. Review the source before running it.
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Repository context
- Repository stars (not skill ratings)
- 2,917
- Repository last updated
- Nov 12, 2026
- License
- MIT
Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.
- ai Repository topic
- automation Repository topic
- claude-code Repository topic
- devops Repository topic
- mcp Repository topic
- ai-agents Repository topic
- anthropic Repository topic
- claude-code-plugins Repository topic
- developer-tools Repository topic
- llm Repository topic
- security Declared skill tag
- static-analysis Declared skill tag
- deserialization Declared skill tag
- pentest Declared skill tag
- security Derived category
Files and excerpt
File metadata and permitted, redacted excerpts come from the recorded scan. Source links are pinned to that commit.
Browse files
SKILL.mdcore · 5,456 bytesSKILL.mdcore · 5,456 bytesSKILL.mdcore · 5,456 bytesSKILL.mdcore · 5,456 bytesreferences/PLAYBOOK.mddoc · 8,109 bytesreferences/THEORY.mddoc · 7,432 bytesscripts/scan_deserialization.pyruns · 8,404 bytes
Read excerpt
# Detecting Insecure Deserialization
## Overview
Insecure deserialization (CWE-502, OWASP A08:2021) is the highest-
severity injection class in many language stacks because it directly
maps to RCE. Pickle, Java serialization, PHP unserialize, and
BinaryFormatter all execute object-construction code during
deserialization. If that code includes `__reduce__` /
`readObject` / `__wakeup` / `OnDeserialization` callbacks that
the attacker controls, the deserialization step IS code execution.
Most legitimate use cases have safer alternatives (JSON for data,
YAML with safe-load, Protocol Buffers, Avro). The remaining cases