CVE-2026-81727
NLTK before 3.10.3 Hardlink File Overwrite via downloader
Description
NLTK versions before 3.10.3 contain a filesystem containment bypass vulnerability in the Downloader.download and Downloader.incr_download methods that allows attackers to overwrite files outside the install root through pre-existing hardlinks. Attackers with write access to a shared downloader directory can create hardlinks pointing to outside-root files that are then overwritten during normal package extraction, mutating files outside the intended install tree.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 27, 2026, 5:21 p.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 27, 2026, 5:21 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-81727
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update NLTK to version 3.10.3 or later.
- Verify installation integrity.
- Remove any existing hardlinks.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-81727.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-f794-5jv7-7672 | |
| https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-before-3.10.3-hardlink-file-overwrite-via-downloader |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-81727 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-81727
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-81727 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-81727 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Aug. 27, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description NLTK versions before 3.10.3 contain a filesystem containment bypass vulnerability in the Downloader.download and Downloader.incr_download methods that allows attackers to overwrite files outside the install root through pre-existing hardlinks. Attackers with write access to a shared downloader directory can create hardlinks pointing to outside-root files that are then overwritten during normal package extraction, mutating files outside the intended install tree. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-59 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/81xxx/CVE-2026-81727.json">CVE-2026-81727</a> Added Reference https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-f794-5jv7-7672 Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-before-3.10.3-hardlink-file-overwrite-via-downloader