CVE-2026-12479 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Path Traversal vulnerability in keras. A fix is available for keras — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Keras: DiskIOStore permits path traversal through crafted layer names
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-12479.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
keras🐍kerasReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
A path traversal vulnerability exists in keras-team/keras version 3.14.0, specifically in the DiskIOStore.make method within the Keras 3 model saving and loading library. This vulnerability arises from the improper handling of user-provided layer names, which are used to construct directory paths without sanitizing for parent directory components (..). While forward slashes (/) are restricted in layer names, directory traversal sequences are not. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious Keras model that, when saved or loaded, can escape the intended temporary working directory and perform unauthorized file system operations, such as creating directories or writing files in arbitrary locations.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | keras | all versions | 3.12.3pip install --upgrade 'keras==3.12.3' |
| 🐍PyPI | keras | ≥ 3.13.0&&< 3.15.0 | 3.15.0pip install --upgrade 'keras==3.15.0' |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for keras, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update keras to 3.12.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-12479 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Moderate: A path traversal flaw in Keras 3, as used in Red Hat OpenShift AI, allows an attacker to craft a malicious model that, when saved or loaded, can write files to arbitrary locations outside the intended temporary directory. This vulnerability requires user interaction to process a specially crafted Keras model.
Users should avoid saving or loading Keras models from untrusted sources within Red Hat OpenShift AI. Ensure that all Keras models processed originate from trusted repositories or have been thoroughly vetted for integrity. Implementing strict access controls and sandboxing for environments handling Keras model operations can further limit the potential impact. If the service is reloaded or restarted, these operational controls will remain in effect.Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-12479 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-12479 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.