GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx
HIGHGHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx is a high-severity (CVSS 8.6) CWE-36 vulnerability in nltk. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
NLTK has Arbitrary File Read via Absolute Path Input in nltk.util.filestring()
Blast Radius
nltkReal-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 the filestring() function of the nltk.util module in nltk version 3.9.2 allows arbitrary file read due to improper validation of input paths. The function directly opens files specified by user input without sanitization, enabling attackers to access sensitive system files by providing absolute paths or traversal paths. This vulnerability can be exploited locally or remotely, particularly in scenarios where the function is used in web APIs or other interfaces that accept user-supplied input.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | nltk | all versions | 3.9.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for nltk. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update nltk to 3.9.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-h8wq-7xc4-p3qx across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.