CVE-2026-62383
Received Received - Intake

Arbitrary File Read via Symlink in NLTK IPIPANCorpusReader

Publication date: 2026-08-22

Last updated on: 2026-08-22

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description
nltk versions before 3.10.2 contain a symlink-based arbitrary file read vulnerability in IPIPANCorpusReader methods that bypass nltk.pathsec validation entirely. Attackers can place a symlink in the corpus root directory and read arbitrary files accessible to the process by calling channels(), domains(), categories(), or fileids() methods with the symlink filename.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-22
Last Modified
2026-08-22
Generated
2026-08-22
AI Q&A
2026-08-22
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-62383
EUVD
EUVD-2026-64339

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
nltk nltk to 3.10.2 (exc)

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-22 The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-62383 is a symlink-based arbitrary file read vulnerability in nltk versions before 3.10.2. It affects the IPIPANCorpusReader class where methods like channels(), domains(), categories(), and fileids() bypass nltk.pathsec validation. Attackers can place a symlink in the corpus root directory and use these methods to read arbitrary files accessible to the process.

Detection Guidance

Check installed nltk version with pip show nltk. If version is >=3.10.0 and <3.10.2, the system is vulnerable. Review code using IPIPANCorpusReader methods channels(), domains(), categories(), or fileids() for symlink handling.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows attackers to read sensitive files on your system if they can place a symlink in a reachable location. It could expose confidential data like configuration files, user credentials, or other sensitive information accessible by the process running nltk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (protected health information). Unauthorized file access may result in data breaches, leading to legal penalties and reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade nltk to version 3.10.2 or later using pip install --upgrade nltk. Audit code for IPIPANCorpusReader usage and replace unprotected open() calls with nltk.pathsec.validate_path() or CorpusReader.open().

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