PyO3 has a missing `Sync` bound on `PyCFunction::new_closure` closures
Moderate severity
GitHub Reviewed
Published
Jun 12, 2026
to the GitHub Advisory Database
•
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Description
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database
Jun 12, 2026
Reviewed
Jun 12, 2026
Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
PyCFunction::new_closure(and the temporarynew_closure_boundcomplement in the 0.21–0.22 series) required the supplied closure to beSend + 'staticbut notSync. The resultingPyCFunctionis a Python callable that can be invoked from any Python thread, which means the closure may be called concurrently from multiple threads, and needs aSyncbound to prevent possible data races.The problem exists under all Python versions but is particularly vulnerable under the newer free-threaded Python variant, which do not have serial execution imposed by the Global Interpreter Lock. Under releases protected by the GIL, the ability to "detach" from the Python interpreter temporarily inside the closure (e.g. by
Python::detach) makes it possible for interleaved and/or concurrent execution of various portions of the closure.PyO3 0.29.0 added a
Syncbound to close this thread-safety bug.References