Critical severity · published Mar 5, 2026
CVE-2026-0848
Arbitrary Code Execution in NLTK StanfordSegmenter via Untrusted JAR Loading
10.0
CVSS
0.8%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
NLTK versions <=3.9.2 are vulnerable to arbitrary code execution due to improper input validation in the StanfordSegmenter module. The module dynamically loads external Java .jar files without verification or sandboxing. An attacker can supply or replace the JAR file, enabling the execution of arbitrary Java bytecode at import time. This vulnerability can be exploited through methods such as model poisoning, MITM attacks, or dependency poisoning, leading to remote code execution. The issue arises from the direct execution of the JAR file via subprocess with unvalidated classpath input, allowing malicious classes to execute when loaded by the JVM.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Changed
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.8% · higher than 56% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
NL
nltk/nltk · nltk
through latest · source: vendor
NL
Nltk · Nltk
through 3.9.2 · source: NVD
Affected product
NL
nltk/nltk
nltk
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