diff --git a/Lib/pickle.py b/Lib/pickle.py
--- a/Lib/pickle.py
+++ b/Lib/pickle.py
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ class Unpickler:
         rep = self.readline()[:-1]
         for q in "\"'": # double or single quote
             if rep.startswith(q):
-                if not rep.endswith(q):
+                if len(rep) < 2 or not rep.endswith(q):
                     raise ValueError, "insecure string pickle"
                 rep = rep[len(q):-len(q)]
                 break
diff --git a/Lib/test/pickletester.py b/Lib/test/pickletester.py
--- a/Lib/test/pickletester.py
+++ b/Lib/test/pickletester.py
@@ -538,6 +538,8 @@ class AbstractPickleTests(unittest.TestC
                     "'abc\"", # open quote and close quote don't match
                     "'abc'   ?", # junk after close quote
                     "'\\'", # trailing backslash
+                    "'",    # issue #17710
+                    "' ",   # issue #17710
                     # some tests of the quoting rules
                     #"'abc\"\''",
                     #"'\\\\a\'\'\'\\\'\\\\\''",
diff --git a/Modules/cPickle.c b/Modules/cPickle.c
--- a/Modules/cPickle.c
+++ b/Modules/cPickle.c
@@ -3643,17 +3643,19 @@ load_string(Unpicklerobject *self)
 
 
     /* Strip outermost quotes */
-    while (s[len-1] <= ' ')
+    while (len > 0 && s[len-1] <= ' ')
         len--;
-    if(s[0]=='"' && s[len-1]=='"'){
+    if (len > 1 && s[0]=='"' && s[len-1]=='"') {
         s[len-1] = '\0';
         p = s + 1 ;
         len -= 2;
-    } else if(s[0]=='\'' && s[len-1]=='\''){
+    }
+    else if (len > 1 && s[0]=='\'' && s[len-1]=='\'') {
         s[len-1] = '\0';
         p = s + 1 ;
         len -= 2;
-    } else
+    }
+    else
         goto insecure;
     /********************************************/