CVE-2026-12482 is a low-severity (CVSS 3.1) Path Traversal vulnerability in keras. A fix is available for keras — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Path Traversal via Symlink Name Validation Bypass in keras-team/keras
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-2026-12482.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-12482 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
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 vulnerability in keras-team/keras version 3.12.0 allows an attacker to craft a malicious tar archive that bypasses the filter_safe_tarinfos validation in keras/src/utils/file_utils.py. Specifically, symlink entries are not subjected to the same is_path_in_dir validation as regular file entries, allowing symlinks to be created outside the intended extraction directory. This can lead to symlink-based file read, file overwrite, or directory escape attacks. The issue is particularly impactful on Python 3.10 and 3.11, where filter_safe_tarinfos is the sole defense against tar path traversal. This vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2025-12060 and other previously reported issues.
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-2026-12482 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-12482 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-12482. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-12482 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-12482 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.