NLTK from 3.2.5 before 3.10.4 contains an algorithmic complexity vulnerability in TreebankWordTokenizer.span_tokenize that allows remote attackers to cause quadratic CPU consumption through repeated list.pop(0) calls. Attackers can submit long runs of double-quote characters to services span-tokenizing untrusted text, exhausting a CPU core and degrading availability.

Attack Vector Network

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Attack Requirements None

User Interaction None

Vulnerable System Confidentiality Impact None

Vulnerable System Integrity Impact None

Vulnerable System Availability Impact Low

Subsequent System Confidentiality Impact None

Subsequent System Integrity Impact None

Subsequent System Availability Impact None

Attack Vector Network

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact None

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact Low

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

No EPSS score available.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions
nltk nltk unaffected
Version Status Constraints
3.2.5 affected < 3.10.4
3.10.4 unaffected —

No data.

No data.

No data.

Project Subscriptions

Vendors Products
Nltk Subscribe
Nltk Subscribe
Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.

Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

References
Link Providers
https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-ffr9-mgrr-wcvr cve-icon cve-icon
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-from-3.2.5-before-3.10.4-cpu-exhaustion-via-treebankwordtokenizer-span-tokenize cve-icon cve-icon
History

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 09:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description NLTK from 3.2.5 before 3.10.4 contains an algorithmic complexity vulnerability in TreebankWordTokenizer.span_tokenize that allows remote attackers to cause quadratic CPU consumption through repeated list.pop(0) calls. Attackers can submit long runs of double-quote characters to services span-tokenizing untrusted text, exhausting a CPU core and degrading availability.
Title NLTK from 3.2.5 before 3.10.4 CPU Exhaustion via TreebankWordTokenizer.span_tokenize
First Time appeared Nltk
Nltk nltk
Weaknesses CWE-407
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:nltk:nltk:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Nltk
Nltk nltk
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 6.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Projects

Sign in to view the affected projects.

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: VulnCheck

Published:

Updated: 2026-11-13T09:36:25.918Z

Reserved: 2026-11-10T20:15:54.612Z

Link: CVE-2026-126300

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-11-13T10:17:34.917

Modified: 2026-11-13T10:17:35.043

Link: CVE-2026-126300

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses