NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit) is a suite of open source Python modules, data sets, and tutorials supporting research and development in Natural Language Processing. Prior to 3.10.0-rc1, nltk.data.load() in NLTK is vulnerable to path traversal via URL-encoded path separators and traversal segments when using the nltk: URL scheme. The unsafe-path regex check is performed before url2pathname() decodes the %xx sequences (a classic decode-after-check / TOCTOU-style flaw), allowing an attacker to bypass the protection documented in NLTK's SECURITY.md and read arbitrary files from the filesystem. While literal traversal strings such as ../../../etc/passwd are correctly blocked, encoded variants such as %2fetc%2fpasswd, %2e%2e%2f..., and ..%2f..%2f slip past the regex and are subsequently decoded into a real filesystem path. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.10.0-rc1.

There are packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability referenced in the following CVE:

  - NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit) is a suite of open source Python modules, data sets, and tutorials
    supporting research and development in Natural Language Processing. Prior to 3.10.0-rc1, nltk.data.load()
    in NLTK is vulnerable to path traversal via URL-encoded path separators and traversal segments when using
    the nltk: URL scheme. The unsafe-path regex check is performed before url2pathname() decodes the %xx
    sequences (a classic decode-after-check / TOCTOU-style flaw), allowing an attacker to bypass the
    protection documented in NLTK's SECURITY.md and read arbitrary files from the filesystem. While literal
    traversal strings such as ../../../etc/passwd are correctly blocked, encoded variants such as
    %2fetc%2fpasswd, %2e%2e%2f..., and ..%2f..%2f slip past the regex and are subsequently decoded into a real
    filesystem path. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.10.0-rc1. (CVE-2026-54293)

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

  - NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit) is a suite of open source Python modules, data sets, and tutorials     supporting research and development in Natural Language Processing. Prior to 3.10.0-rc1, nltk.data.load()     in NLTK is vulnerable to path traversal via URL-encoded path separators and traversal segments when using     the nltk: URL scheme. The unsafe-path regex check is performed before url2pathname() decodes the %xx     sequences (a classic decode-after-check / TOCTOU-style flaw), allowing an attacker to bypass the     protection documented in NLTK's SECURITY.md and read arbitrary files from the filesystem. While literal     traversal strings such as ../../../etc/passwd are correctly blocked, encoded variants such as     %2fetc%2fpasswd, %2e%2e%2f..., and ..%2f..%2f slip past the regex and are subsequently decoded into a real     filesystem path. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.10.0-rc1. (CVE-2026-54293)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Type	Severity
444813	SCA: security update for nltk (GHSA-p4gq-832x-fm9v)	Tenable Cloud Security	SCA Checks	Local	high
444813	SCA: security update for nltk (GHSA-p4gq-832x-fm9v)	Tenable Self-Hosted Container Security	SCA Checks	Local	high
322136	Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-54293	Nessus	Misc.	Local	high

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2026-54293

high

Tenable Plugins

high

high

high