NLTK: Default ENFORCE=False Disables All pathsec Security Controls — GHSA-P3M8-78J2-G5P3

Summary

NLTK's pathsec.py security module defaults to ENFORCE=False (line 24), which means all 8 security validation functions only emit RuntimeWarning instead of raising exceptions when violations are detected. The pathsec module was introduced as the fix for CVE-2024-39705 (arbitrary code execution via pickle) and CVE-2026-0846 (path traversal). However, with ENFORCE=False as the default: 1. pathsec.open('/etc/passwd')…

Timeline

Published by source

2026-09-02

Risk context

• Reported severity or threat level: high.
• Reported CVSS score: 8.7 out of 10.
• Reported EPSS value: 0.00457.
• Review exposure for the affected product or family: pip: nltk.

Product

pip: nltk

What to do

General, cautious steps (verify details in the official source):

• Prioritize patching or mitigation immediately (treat as actively risky).
• Identify affected product versions in your inventory and verify whether you are impacted.
• Apply vendor patches/updates or recommended mitigations as soon as available.
• Read the official advisory for exact affected versions and remediation steps.

Official advisory

• Read the official source
• CVE Record
• NVD

Evidence and provenance

Canonical advisory ID

GHSA-P3M8-78J2-G5P3

Source

GitHub

Vendor

GitHub

Published by source

2026-09-02

Last source activity

2026-09-02

Additional identifiers

CVE-2026-62388

Curated by

hlukh.ch

Related advisories and connections

These advisories are connected by shared CVE, product, vendor, source, or time signals.