CVE-2026-12261

Improper Access Control in nltk/nltk

Published Aug 7, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 6.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
A vulnerability in `nltk.downloader` in nltk/nltk versions <= 3.9.4 allows for cross-package resource and model poisoning. The downloader extracts package archives into shared namespaces such as `corpora/` and `taggers/` instead of package-isolated roots, and validates package integrity only after the archive has been written and extracted. This design flaw enables one package to overwrite another package's trusted resources within the same namespace, making the changes immediately active through ordinary NLTK APIs. This issue persists across fresh interpreter restarts and can affect downstream workflows, including machine learning pipelines and reproducibility-sensitive environments.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-ffj6-66c4-86gw NLTK downloader allows cross-package resource and model poisoning
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Nltk nltk
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:nltk:nltk:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Nltk nltk
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-367
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Nltk
Nltk nltk/nltk
Vendors & Products Nltk
Nltk nltk/nltk
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A vulnerability in `nltk.downloader` in nltk/nltk versions <= 3.9.4 allows for cross-package resource and model poisoning. The downloader extracts package archives into shared namespaces such as `corpora/` and `taggers/` instead of package-isolated roots, and validates package integrity only after the archive has been written and extracted. This design flaw enables one package to overwrite another package's trusted resources within the same namespace, making the changes immediately active through ordinary NLTK APIs. This issue persists across fresh interpreter restarts and can affect downstream workflows, including machine learning pipelines and reproducibility-sensitive environments.
Title Improper Access Control in nltk/nltk
Weaknesses CWE-284
References
Metrics cvssV3_0

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
@huntr_ai
Published
Updated
Aug 7, 2026, 3:27 PM
Reserved
Jun 15, 2026, 10:13 AM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Aug 7, 2026, 7:16 AM
Modified
Oct 23, 2026, 9:10 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Aug 7, 2026, 6:25 AM