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CVE-2026-0848 — Vulnerability in nltk — CVE Details

CRITICAL

Published March 5, 2026Updated May 20, 2026Source: osv

Summary

NLTK versions <=3.9.2 are vulnerable to arbitrary code execution due to improper input validation in the StanfordSegmenter module. The module dynamically loads external Java .jar files without verification or sandboxing. An attacker can supply or replace the JAR file, enabling the execution of arbitrary Java bytecode at import time. This vulnerability can be exploited through methods such as model poisoning, MITM attacks, or dependency poisoning, leading to remote code execution. The issue arises from the direct execution of the JAR file via subprocess with unvalidated classpath input, allowing malicious classes to execute when loaded by the JVM.

Advisory Timeline

  • First published March 5, 2026 (221 days ago).
  • Last revised May 20, 2026 — 76 days after initial publication.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

pip
Update nltk to 3.9.3 or later
pip install "nltk>=3.9.3"

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (1)

Affects 1 ecosystem: pypi (1).

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
nltk
pypi
0.8, 0.9, 0.9.3, 0.9.4 (+59 more)3.9.3

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 10.0 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-0848?
This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 10.0/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-0848?
CVE-2026-0848 affects nltk. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-0848 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
10.0

Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.

Also Known As

PYSEC-2026-99

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