CVE-2026-33236

NLTK has a Downloader Path Traversal Vulnerability (AFO) - Arbitrary File Overwrite

Published Mar 20, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 8.1 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit) is a suite of open source Python modules, data sets, and tutorials supporting research and development in Natural Language Processing. In versions 3.9.3 and prior, the NLTK downloader does not validate the `subdir` and `id` attributes when processing remote XML index files. Attackers can control a remote XML index server to provide malicious values containing path traversal sequences (such as `../`), which can lead to arbitrary directory creation, arbitrary file creation, and arbitrary file overwrite. Commit 89fe2ec2c6bae6e2e7a46dad65cc34231976ed8a patches the issue.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-469j-vmhf-r6v7 NLTK has a Downloader Path Traversal Vulnerability (AFO) - Arbitrary File Overwrite
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8302-1 NLTK vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:nltk:nltk:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Nltk
Nltk nltk
Vendors & Products Nltk
Nltk nltk
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit) is a suite of open source Python modules, data sets, and tutorials supporting research and development in Natural Language Processing. In versions 3.9.3 and prior, the NLTK downloader does not validate the `subdir` and `id` attributes when processing remote XML index files. Attackers can control a remote XML index server to provide malicious values containing path traversal sequences (such as `../`), which can lead to arbitrary directory creation, arbitrary file creation, and arbitrary file overwrite. Commit 89fe2ec2c6bae6e2e7a46dad65cc34231976ed8a patches the issue.
Title NLTK has a Downloader Path Traversal Vulnerability (AFO) - Arbitrary File Overwrite
Weaknesses CWE-22
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Jul 21, 2026, 12:05 PM
Reserved
Mar 18, 2026, 2:42 AM
Status
Modified
Published
Mar 20, 2026, 11:16 PM
Modified
Jul 21, 2026, 12:18 PM
Severity
Important
Public date
Mar 20, 2026, 10:47 PM