Arbitrary XML disclosure via symlink escape
Published Aug 22, 2026 · Updated Aug 22, 2026
Path traversal in NLTK 3.10.0 through 3.10.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary XML files outside the corpus root. FramenetCorpusReader checks only separator-free names before self.abspath() performs a lexical join, so PathPointer.open() follows an in-root symlink without enforcing the corpus root. Exploitation requires control of a symlink under the frame, lu, or fulltext corpus directory; a normal frame_by_name(), _lu_file(), or doc() call then returns readable out-of-root XML.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in NLTK 3.10.0 through 3.10.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary XML files outside the corpus root. FramenetCorpusReader checks only separator-free names before self.abspath() performs a lexical join, so PathPointer.open() follows an in-root symlink without enforcing the corpus root. Exploitation requires control of a symlink under the frame, lu, or fulltext corpus directory; a normal frame_by_name(), _lu_file(), or doc() call then returns readable out-of-root XML.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-62384
- Published
- Aug 22, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 22, 2026
- Vendor
- NLTK Project
- Product
- NLTK
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1005
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 22, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3.10.0 <3.10.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-f833-7jw8-xwrv end-to-end proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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