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CVE-2026-33236

Nltk path traversal

8.1 HIGHPublic exploitEPSS 0.71%
  1. Published20 Mar 2026

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.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Nltk≤ 3.9.3

Remediation

No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2026-33236 being actively exploited?

CVE-2026-33236 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. A public exploit reference exists, so treat it as exploitable. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.71%.

How severe is CVE-2026-33236?

CVE-2026-33236 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1, rated high. EPSS estimates a 0.71% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2026-33236?

Affected products include Nltk.

How do I fix CVE-2026-33236?

Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.

How Secuno handles this

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.