CVE-2026-65915
Attackers can pass file:// URLs to nltk.data.load() to read arbitrary files accessible to the process user, including credentials and configuration files.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.36%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
NLTK versions before 3.10.0 contain a logic bug in FileSystemPathPointer.open() where the sandbox validation check compares a normalized path against itself, making the security check permanently inert. Attackers can pass file:// URLs to nltk.data.load() to read arbitrary files accessible to the process user, including credentials and configuration files.
- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 HIGHCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/M
- EPSS
- 0.36% probability · 29th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-284
- Affected
- nltk/nltk
- Source
- disclosure@vulncheck.com
References
- https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-72r2-7mfr-5xr9Exploit, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-before-arbitrary-file-read-via-filesystempathpointerThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-72r2-7mfr-5xr9Exploit, Vendor Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.