CVE-2025-14009 PUBLISHED

Zip Slip Vulnerability in nltk/nltk Leading to Remote Code Execution

Assigner: @huntr_ai
Reserved: 04.12.2025 Published: 18.02.2026 Updated: 19.02.2026

A critical vulnerability exists in the NLTK downloader component of nltk/nltk, affecting all versions. The _unzip_iter function in nltk/downloader.py uses zipfile.extractall() without performing path validation or security checks. This allows attackers to craft malicious zip packages that, when downloaded and extracted by NLTK, can execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability arises because NLTK assumes all downloaded packages are trusted and extracts them without validation. If a malicious package contains Python files, such as init.py, these files are executed automatically upon import, leading to remote code execution. This issue can result in full system compromise, including file system access, network access, and potential persistence mechanisms.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS Score: 10

Product Status

Vendor nltk
Product nltk/nltk
Versions
  • affected from unspecified to latest (incl.)

References

Problem Types

  • CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code CWE