CVE-2026-65915
Description
A flaw was found in NLTK. A logic bug in the FileSystemPathPointer.open() function allows the sandbox validation check to be bypassed. A remote attacker can exploit this by providing specially crafted file:// Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to nltk.data.load(). This enables the attacker to read arbitrary files on the system, potentially leading to the disclosure of sensitive information such as credentials and configuration files.
Statement
This vulnerability in NLTK allows an authenticated attacker to read arbitrary files accessible to the process by supplying specially crafted file:// URLs to nltk.data.load(). This could lead to information disclosure, including sensitive credentials or configuration data, within affected Red Hat products such as Lightspeed Core, OpenShift Lightspeed, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, and Red Hat OpenShift AI. Exploitation requires the application to process untrusted input that can be interpreted as a file:// URL by NLTK.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue involves ensuring that applications utilizing the NLTK library do not process untrusted `file://` URLs through `nltk.data.load()`. Implement input validation and sanitization for any data passed to NLTK functions that could resolve file paths. Additionally, running applications that use NLTK with the principle of least privilege can limit the impact of successful exploitation by restricting access to sensitive files.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.5 | N/A | 6.5 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
The attacker may be able to create or overwrite critical files that are used to execute code, such as programs or libraries.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Files or Directories
The attacker may be able to overwrite or create critical files, such as programs, libraries, or important data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, appending a new account at the end of a password file may allow an attacker to bypass authentication.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Files or Directories
The attacker may be able read the contents of unexpected files and expose sensitive data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, by reading a password file, the attacker could conduct brute force password guessing attacks in order to break into an account on the system.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
The attacker may be able to overwrite, delete, or corrupt unexpected critical files such as programs, libraries, or important data. This may prevent the product from working at all and in the case of protection mechanisms such as authentication, it has the potential to lock out product users.
Frequently Asked Questions
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