matplotlib · scottshambaugh · Mar 6, 2026 · Mar 7, 2026 · Mar 9, 2026 · Mar 9, 2026
diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/31248-SS.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/31248-SS.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Arbitrary code in ``axes.prop_cycle`` rcParam strings
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The ``axes.prop_cycle`` rcParam accepts Python expressions that are evaluated
+in a limited context.  The evaluation context has been further limited and some
+expressions that previously worked (list comprehensions, for example) no longer
+will. This change is made without a deprecation period to improve security.
+The previously documented cycler operations at
+https://matplotlib.org/cycler/ are still supported.
diff --git a/doc/release/next_whats_new/cycler_rcparam_security.rst b/doc/release/next_whats_new/cycler_rcparam_security.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+``axes.prop_cycle`` rcParam security improvements
+-------------------------------------------------
+
+The ``axes.prop_cycle`` rcParam is now parsed in a safer and more restricted
+manner. Only literals, ``cycler()`` and ``concat()`` calls, the operators
+``+`` and ``*``, and slicing are allowed. All previously valid cycler strings
+documented at https://matplotlib.org/cycler/ are still supported, for example:
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+   axes.prop_cycle : cycler('color', ['r', 'g', 'b']) + cycler('linewidth', [1, 2, 3])
+   axes.prop_cycle : 2 * cycler('color', 'rgb')
+   axes.prop_cycle : concat(cycler('color', 'rgb'), cycler('color', 'cmk'))
+   axes.prop_cycle : cycler('color', 'rgbcmk')[:3]
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 from matplotlib._enums import JoinStyle, CapStyle
 
 # Don't let the original cycler collide with our validating cycler
-from cycler import Cycler, cycler as ccycler
+from cycler import Cycler, concat as cconcat, cycler as ccycler
 
 
 class ValidateInStrings:
@@ -815,11 +815,62 @@ def cycler(*args, **kwargs):
     return reduce(operator.add, (ccycler(k, v) for k, v in validated))
 
 
-class _DunderChecker(ast.NodeVisitor):
-    def visit_Attribute(self, node):
-        if node.attr.startswith("__") and node.attr.endswith("__"):
-            raise ValueError("cycler strings with dunders are forbidden")
-        self.generic_visit(node)
+def _parse_cycler_string(s):
+    """
+    Parse a string representation of a cycler into a Cycler object safely,
+    without using eval().
+
+    Accepts expressions like::
+
+        cycler('color', ['r', 'g', 'b'])
+        cycler('color', 'rgb') + cycler('linewidth', [1, 2, 3])
+        cycler(c='rgb', lw=[1, 2, 3])
+        cycler('c', 'rgb') * cycler('linestyle', ['-', '--'])
+    """
+    try:
+        tree = ast.parse(s, mode='eval')
+    except SyntaxError as e:
+        raise ValueError(f"Could not parse {s!r}: {e}") from e
+    return _eval_cycler_expr(tree.body)
+
+
+def _eval_cycler_expr(node):
+    """Recursively evaluate an AST node to build a Cycler object."""
+    if isinstance(node, ast.BinOp):
+        left = _eval_cycler_expr(node.left)
+        right = _eval_cycler_expr(node.right)
+        if isinstance(node.op, ast.Add):
+            return left + right
+        if isinstance(node.op, ast.Mult):
+            return left * right
+        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported operator: {type(node.op).__name__}")
+    if isinstance(node, ast.Call):
+        if not (isinstance(node.func, ast.Name)
+                and node.func.id in ('cycler', 'concat')):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "only the 'cycler()' and 'concat()' functions are allowed")
+        func = cycler if node.func.id == 'cycler' else cconcat
-        func = cycler if node.func.id == 'cycler' else cconcat
+        func = ccycler if node.func.id == 'cycler' else cconcat
-        func = cycler if node.func.id == 'cycler' else cconcat
+        func = ccycler if node.func.id == 'cycler' else cconcat
+        args = [_eval_cycler_expr(a) for a in node.args]
+        kwargs = {kw.arg: ast.literal_eval(kw.value) for kw in node.keywords}
+        return func(*args, **kwargs)
+    if isinstance(node, ast.Subscript):
+        value = _eval_cycler_expr(node.value)
+        sl = node.slice
+        if isinstance(sl, ast.Slice):
+            s = slice(
+                ast.literal_eval(sl.lower) if sl.lower else None,
+                ast.literal_eval(sl.upper) if sl.upper else None,
+                ast.literal_eval(sl.step) if sl.step else None,
+            )
+            return value[s]
+        raise ValueError("only slicing is supported, not indexing")
+    # Allow literal values (int, strings, lists, tuples) as arguments
+    # to cycler() and concat().
+    try:
+        return ast.literal_eval(node)
+    except (ValueError, TypeError):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Unsupported expression in cycler string: {ast.dump(node)}")
 
 
 # A validator dedicated to the named legend loc
@@ -870,25 +921,11 @@ def _validate_legend_loc(loc):
 def validate_cycler(s):
     """Return a Cycler object from a string repr or the object itself."""
     if isinstance(s, str):
-        # TODO: We might want to rethink this...
-        # While I think I have it quite locked down, it is execution of
-        # arbitrary code without sanitation.
-        # Combine this with the possibility that rcparams might come from the
-        # internet (future plans), this could be downright dangerous.
-        # I locked it down by only having the 'cycler()' function available.
-        # UPDATE: Partly plugging a security hole.
-        # I really should have read this:
-        # https://nedbatchelder.com/blog/201206/eval_really_is_dangerous.html
-        # We should replace this eval with a combo of PyParsing and
-        # ast.literal_eval()
         try:
-            _DunderChecker().visit(ast.parse(s))
-            s = eval(s, {'cycler': cycler, '__builtins__': {}})
-        except BaseException as e:
+            s = _parse_cycler_string(s)
+        except Exception as e:
             raise ValueError(f"{s!r} is not a valid cycler construction: {e}"
                              ) from e
-    # Should make sure what comes from the above eval()
-    # is a Cycler object.
     if isinstance(s, Cycler):
         cycler_inst = s
     else:
@@ -1160,7 +1197,7 @@ def _convert_validator_spec(key, conv):
     "axes.formatter.offset_threshold": validate_int,
     "axes.unicode_minus": validate_bool,
     # This entry can be either a cycler object or a string repr of a
-    # cycler-object, which gets eval()'ed to create the object.
+    # cycler-object, which is parsed safely via AST.
     "axes.prop_cycle": validate_cycler,
     # If "data", axes limits are set close to the data.
     # If "round_numbers" axes limits are set to the nearest round numbers.

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py
@@ -275,16 +275,21 @@ def generate_validator_testcases(valid):
                       cycler('linestyle', ['-', '--'])),
                      (cycler(mew=[2, 5]),
                       cycler('markeredgewidth', [2, 5])),
+                     ("2 * cycler('color', 'rgb')", 2 * cycler('color', 'rgb')),
+                     ("2 * cycler('color', 'r' + 'gb')", 2 * cycler('color', 'rgb')),
+                     ("cycler('color', 'rgb') * 2", cycler('color', 'rgb') * 2),
+                     ("concat(cycler('color', 'rgb'), cycler('color', 'cmk'))",
+                      cycler('color', list('rgbcmk'))),
+                     ("cycler('color', 'rgbcmk')[:3]", cycler('color', list('rgb'))),
+                     ("cycler('color', 'rgb')[::-1]", cycler('color', list('bgr'))),
                      ),
-         # This is *so* incredibly important: validate_cycler() eval's
-         # an arbitrary string! I think I have it locked down enough,
-         # and that is what this is testing.
-         # TODO: Note that these tests are actually insufficient, as it may
-         # be that they raised errors, but still did an action prior to
-         # raising the exception. We should devise some additional tests
-         # for that...
+         # validate_cycler() parses an arbitrary string using a safe
+         # AST-based parser (no eval). These tests verify that only valid
+         # cycler expressions are accepted.
          'fail': ((4, ValueError),  # Gotta be a string or Cycler object
                   ('cycler("bleh, [])', ValueError),  # syntax error
+                  ("cycler('color', 'rgb') * * cycler('color', 'rgb')",  # syntax error
+                  ValueError),
                   ('Cycler("linewidth", [1, 2, 3])',
                    ValueError),  # only 'cycler()' function is allowed
                   # do not allow dunder in string literals
@@ -298,6 +303,9 @@ def generate_validator_testcases(valid):
                    ValueError),
                   ("cycler('c', [j.__class__(j).lower() for j in ['r', 'b']])",
                    ValueError),
+                  # list comprehensions are arbitrary code, even if "safe"
+                  ("cycler('color', [x for x in ['r', 'g', 'b']])",
+                   ValueError),
                   ('1 + 2', ValueError),  # doesn't produce a Cycler object
                   ('os.system("echo Gotcha")', ValueError),  # os not available
                   ('import os', ValueError),  # should not be able to import