[2608.12853] Beyond Source: An Empirical Study of Python Bytecode Security Risks

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arXiv:2608.12853 (cs)

[Submitted on 13 Aug 2026]

Title:Beyond Source: An Empirical Study of Python Bytecode Security Risks

Authors:Baihong Chen, Tian Xie, Wen Li<br>View a PDF of the paper titled Beyond Source: An Empirical Study of Python Bytecode Security Risks, by Baihong Chen and 2 other authors

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Abstract:Python package security is largely source-centric, yet Python runtimes can execute bytecode directly through .pyc files, compiled-only modules, and marshalled code objects, creating an inspection-execution gap. We present an empirical study of Python bytecode as a security artifact. We measure bytecode exposure in PyPI distributions, evaluate practical analyzability using version-aware tooling, assess CPython runtime robustness under adversarial bytecode, and test source-level reproduction of bytecode findings. Across 1,034,843 collected PyPI artifacts, we identify 7,388 bytecode-containing artifacts, including 228,578 .pyc files and 28,193 artifact-local source-less .pyc files. For modern CPython 3.8-3.14 bytecode, at least one selected decompiler emits source for 204,901 of 204,904 in-scope files, a result measuring emission rather than verified functional equivalence. Tools are non-robust: observed PyPI bytecode triggers managed-code exceptions and timeouts, while adversarial mutated bytecode also drives decompilers into native process failures; together these outcomes yield 17 distinct robustness signatures. Fuzzing produces 1,009 stack-deduplicated runtime findings dominated by pointer-dereference symptoms; 261 groups exhibit potential memory-corruption characteristics, and at least 91.7% of groups reach execution beyond the documented-unsafe ingestion boundary. None reproduce from ordinary Python source. Bytecode is thus a visible ecosystem artifact, a practical analysis target, and a security-relevant interpreter input whose behavior need not match source-level behavior.

Subjects:

Cryptography and Security (cs.CR)

Cite as:<br>arXiv:2608.12853 [cs.CR]

(or<br>arXiv:2608.12853v1 [cs.CR] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2608.12853

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arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

Submission history<br>From: Baihong Chen [view email]<br>[v1]<br>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:54:24 UTC (1,053 KB)

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