{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-78681", "assignerOrgId": "83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "VulnCheck", "dateReserved": "2026-08-25T01:17:12.263Z", "datePublished": "2026-08-25T01:30:37.749Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-25T01:30:37.749Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10", "shortName": "VulnCheck", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-25T01:30:37.749Z"}, "datePublic": "2026-08-11T00:00:00.000Z", "title": "NLTK before 3.10.3 Entity Expansion DoS via ElementTree", "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "NLTK versions before 3.10.3 use xml.etree.ElementTree to parse XML in multiple modules, which honors entity declarations in document DTDs. Attackers can craft XML payloads with nested entity declarations that expand from hundreds of bytes to megabytes in memory, causing denial of service."}], "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "description": "Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion')", "cweId": "CWE-776", "type": "CWE"}]}], "affected": [{"vendor": "nltk", "product": "nltk", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/nltk", "versions": [{"version": "0", "status": "affected", "versionType": "semver", "lessThan": "3.10.3"}, {"version": "3.10.3", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}]}], "cpeApplicability": [{"nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:nltk:nltk:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "3.10.3"}]}]}], "metrics": [{"cvssV4_0": {"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED", "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED", "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "NONE", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "baseScore": 8.7, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "userInteraction": "NONE", "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N", "version": "4.0", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"}, "format": "CVSS"}, {"cvssV3_1": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH", "baseScore": 7.5, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "NONE", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "version": "3.1"}, "format": "CVSS"}], "references": [{"url": "https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-97qj-x29f-37w7", "tags": ["vendor-advisory"], "name": "GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-97qj-x29f-37w7)"}, {"name": "VulnCheck Advisory: NLTK before 3.10.3 Entity Expansion DoS via ElementTree", "tags": ["third-party-advisory"], "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-before-entity-expansion-dos-via-elementtree"}], "x_generator": {"engine": "vulncheck-endgame"}}}}

{}

{"affected": [{"affectedData": [{"defaultStatus": "unaffected", "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/nltk", "product": "nltk", "vendor": "nltk", "versions": [{"lessThan": "3.10.3", "status": "affected", "version": "0", "versionType": "semver"}, {"status": "unaffected", "version": "3.10.3", "versionType": "semver"}]}], "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com"}], "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "NLTK versions before 3.10.3 use xml.etree.ElementTree to parse XML in multiple modules, which honors entity declarations in document DTDs. Attackers can craft XML payloads with nested entity declarations that expand from hundreds of bytes to megabytes in memory, causing denial of service."}], "id": "CVE-2026-78681", "lastModified": "2026-08-25T02:16:52.750", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"cvssData": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH", "baseScore": 7.5, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "NONE", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "version": "3.1"}, "exploitabilityScore": 3.9, "impactScore": 3.6, "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com", "type": "Primary"}], "cvssMetricV40": [{"cvssData": {"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED", "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED", "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "NONE", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "baseScore": 8.7, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED", "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "userInteraction": "NONE", "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/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", "version": "4.0", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"}, "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com", "type": "Secondary"}]}, "published": "2026-08-25T02:16:52.750", "references": [{"source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com", "url": "https://github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-97qj-x29f-37w7"}, {"source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com", "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-before-entity-expansion-dos-via-elementtree"}], "sourceIdentifier": "disclosure@vulncheck.com", "vulnStatus": "Received", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-776"}], "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com", "type": "Primary"}]}

{}

{"affected": [{"configurations": [{"platform": null, "status": "affected", "versions": {"scheme": "semver", "value": "[0,3.10.3)"}}, {"platform": null, "status": "unaffected", "versions": {"scheme": "semver", "value": "3.10.3"}}], "enrichment": {"confidence": 95.0, "confidence_source": "inferred", "scores": [{"score": 95.0, "source": "inferred"}, {"score": 100.0, "source": "matching"}]}, "original": {"product": "nltk", "source": "cna", "vendor": "nltk"}, "product": "nltk", "vendor": "nltk"}], "created": "2026-08-25T04:00:08.449348+00:00", "updated": "2026-08-25T04:15:04.490632+00:00", "vendors": ["nltk", "nltk$PRODUCT$nltk"]}