Description
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.
Scores
CVSS v3
7.5
EPSS
0.0009
EPSS Percentile
25.0%
Attack Vector
NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CISA SSVC
Vulnrichment
Exploitation
poc
Automatable
yes
Technical Impact
partial
Details
CWE
CWE-36
Status
published
Products (3)
nltk/nltk
3.9.2
nltk/nltk/nltk
unspecified - latest
pypi/nltk
0 - 3.9.3PyPI
Published
Mar 09, 2026
Tracked Since
Mar 10, 2026