CVE-2024-39705
NLTK through 3.8.1 allows remote code execution if untrusted packages have pickled Python code, and the integrated data package download functionality is used.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (1.35%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
NLTK through 3.8.1 allows remote code execution if untrusted packages have pickled Python code, and the integrated data package download functionality is used. This affects, for example, averaged_perceptron_tagger and punkt.
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 1.35% probability · 71th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-502
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 1.3% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://github.com/nltk/nltk/issues/2522
- https://github.com/nltk/nltk/issues/3266
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/rce-in-python-nltk-cve-2024-39705-39706
- https://github.com/nltk/nltk/issues/2522
- https://github.com/nltk/nltk/issues/3266
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/rce-in-python-nltk-cve-2024-39705-39706
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.