Quick answer
Direct answer
Risk scores
| CVSS metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Attack vector (AV:N) | Network: reachable remotely |
| Attack complexity (AC:L) | Low complexity |
| Privileges required (PR:N) | No privileges required |
| User interaction (UI:N) | No user interaction |
| Scope (S:U) | Scope unchanged |
| Confidentiality (C:H) | High confidentiality impact |
| Integrity (I:N) | No integrity impact |
| Availability (A:N) | No availability impact |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
About Nltk
CVE-2026-0846 affects Nltk, a product from Nltk. Before acting, confirm where Nltk runs in your estate, who owns it and whether it is reachable from the internet, because exposure decides real risk more than the score alone.
What the flaw is
In plain terms: A vulnerability in the `filestring()` function of the `nltk.util` module in nltk version 3.9.2 allows arbitrary file read due to improper validation of input paths. The function directly opens files specified by user input without sanitization, enabling attackers to access sensitive system files by providing absolute paths or traversal paths. This vulnerability can be exploited locally or remotely, particularly in scenarios where the function is used in web APIs or other interfaces that accept user-supplied input.
The weakness class is Path Traversal. An attacker can reach files outside the intended folder by tampering with a file path.
Based on its CVSS vector, the flaw can be reached over the network, needs no login, and needs no user interaction. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.
Affected versions and timeline
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Nltk |
| Affected versions | Nltk 3.9.2 |
| Published | Mar 9, 2026 |
| Last modified | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Added to CISA KEV | Not listed |
| Assigning CNA | security@huntr.dev |
How to detect it
- Inventory every instance of Nltk and record the running version against the affected range above.
- Check external attack surface scans for internet facing instances of the component.
- Review logs on affected systems for unusual requests, errors or new processes around the vulnerable function.
- Confirm with an authenticated vulnerability scan once your scanner has a check for this CVE.
How to fix it
- Apply the fixed version of Nltk named in the vendor advisory.
- If patching must wait, restrict network access to the affected service and put it behind authentication or a web application firewall rule.
- Rescan after the change to prove the exposure is gone, then close the ticket.
CTEM action plan
| CTEM stage | What to do for this CVE |
|---|---|
| Scope | Add every business service that depends on Nltk to the current CTEM cycle. |
| Discover | Find all instances, including shadow and cloud deployments, and record versions and exposure. |
| Prioritize | Rank using EPSS and CVSS together with asset exposure and business impact. |
| Validate | Confirm the flaw is reachable and exploitable in your environment and that compensating controls work. |
| Mobilize | Assign the fix to the asset owner with a due date matched to the priority, then verify closure. |
CWE References
- CWE-36 More CVEs with this weakness
- CWE-22: Path Traversal More CVEs with this weakness
Technical References
Frequently asked questions
Related CVEs
NLTK versions before 3.10.0 contain a path traversal vulnerability in FramenetCorpusReader and NKJPCorpusReader that allows attackers to parse XML files outside the corpus root by supplying unsafe selectors or poisoned index state. Attackers can exploit frame_by_name, doc, lu, and header methods with crafted parameters to read arbitrary XML files accessible to the application.
A vulnerability in NLTK versions up to and including 3.9.2 allows arbitrary file read via path traversal in multiple CorpusReader classes, including WordListCorpusReader, TaggedCorpusReader, and BracketParseCorpusReader. These classes fail to properly sanitize or validate file paths, enabling attackers to traverse directories and access sensitive files on the server. This issue is particularly critical in scenarios where user-controlled file inputs are processed, such as in machine learning APIs, chatbots, or NLP pipelines. Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files, including system files, SSH private keys, and API tokens, and may potentially escalate to remote code execution when combined with other vulnerabilities.
MindsDB is a platform for building artificial intelligence from enterprise data. Prior to version 25.11.1, an unauthenticated path traversal in the file upload API lets any caller read arbitrary files from the server filesystem and move them into MindsDB’s storage, exposing sensitive data. The PUT handler in file.py directly joins user-controlled data into a filesystem path when the request body is JSON and source_type is not "url". Only multipart uploads and URL-sourced uploads receive sanitization; JSON uploads lack any call to clear_filename or equivalent checks. This vulnerability is fixed in 25.11.1.
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