CVE-2026-78680
HIGHDescription
NLTK versions before 3.10.3 fail to use validated absolute paths when invoking the Graphviz dot binary in dependencygraph.dot2img and AlignedSent._repr_svg_, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious dot binary in the search path or current working directory. Attackers can exploit bare-name binary resolution on Windows via the current working directory or on Unix-like systems via relative PATH entries to execute their binary instead of the legitimate Graphviz tool.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 2% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-426 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2015-0096 | High | 9.3 | 71% | - | - |
| CVE-2016-10009 | High | 7.3 | 37% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2016-0016 | High | 7.8 | 30% | - | - |
| CVE-2012-1854 | High | 7.8 | 21% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2018-12589 | High | 7.8 | 20% | - | - |
| CVE-2022-22047 | High | 7.8 | 19% | KEV | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-78680?
Upgrade nltk on debian unstable to 3.10.3-1 or later.
Is CVE-2026-78680 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-78680 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.12% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 2% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-78680?
CVE-2026-78680 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-78680 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for nltk (Debian). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-25.