vLLM has Hardcoded Trust Override in Model Files Enables RCE Despite Explicit User Opt-Out

Description

Summary

Two model implementation files hardcode trust_remote_code=True when loading sub-components, bypassing the user's explicit --trust-remote-code=False security opt-out. This enables remote code execution via malicious model
repositories even when the user has explicitly disabled remote code trust.

### Details

Affected files (latest main branch):

  1. vllm/model_executor/models/nemotron_vl.py:430
    ```python
    vision_model = AutoModel.from_config(config.vision_config, trust_remote_code=True)

  2. vllm/model_executor/models/kimi_k25.py:177

```python
  cached_get_image_processor(self.ctx.model_config.model, trust_remote_code=True)

Both pass a hardcoded trust_remote_code=True to HuggingFace API calls, overriding the user's global --trust-remote-code=False setting.

Relation to prior CVEs:
- CVE-2025-66448 fixed auto_map resolution in vllm/transformers_utils/config.py (config loading path)
- CVE-2026-22807 fixed broader auto_map at startup
- Both fixes are present in the current code. These hardcoded instances in model files survived both patches — different code paths.

Impact

Remote code execution. An attacker can craft a malicious model repository that executes arbitrary Python code when loaded by vLLM, even when the user has explicitly set --trust-remote-code=False. This undermines the security guarantee
that trust_remote_code=False is intended to provide.

Remediation: Replace hardcoded trust_remote_code=True with self.config.model_config.trust_remote_code in both files. Raise a clear error if the model component requires remote code but the user hasn't opted in.

Basic information

Type
reviewed
Severity
high
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Open repository advisory ↗
Source code
Browse source ↗
Published (advisory)
2026-03-27 15:27:20 UTC
Updated
2026-03-27 15:27:20 UTC
GitHub reviewed
2026-03-27 15:27:20 UTC
NVD published
2026-03-26

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.03% 9.37%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
8.8 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.

Identifiers

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-693 Protection Mechanism Failure

Credits

  • Wernerina (reporter)
  • russellb (coordinator)

Affected packages (1)

Vulnerable version ranges and first patched releases as published by GitHub.

Ecosystem Package Vulnerable range First patched Vulnerable functions
pip vllm >= 0.10.1, < 0.18.0 0.18.0

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence