What is CVE-2026-78680?

CVE-2026-78680 is NLTK before 3.10.3 Arbitrary Code Execution via Graphviz dot Binary. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Privilege Esc mapped to CWE-426 CWE-426.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78680. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

No. CVE-2026-78680 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with EDR process telemetry, host service logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-78680 using CVSS 7.8, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

highPrivilege Escpublic exploit

CVE-2026-78680

CVE-2026-78680 — NLTK before 3.10.3 Arbitrary Code Execution via Graphviz dot Binary

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.

Published Aug 25, 2026Updated Aug 25, 2026Sources: NVD, nltk (CNA), GitHub, GitHub Security Advisory, SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Exploit code

public exploit, none observed

EPSS

ahead of 0% of scored CVEs

Affects

nltk

2 products listed

CVSS base

7.8

high · 2 sources

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade nltk to a fixed release (3.10.3). Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
nltk	nltk	0 to < 3.10.3	Vulnerable
nltk	nltk	3.10.3	Patched

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Local

Privileges Req

Low

User Interaction

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
7.8	CVSS 3.1	high	1.8	5.9	NVD, nltk (CNA), GHSA
8.5	CVSS 4.0	high	—	—	nltk (CNA)

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

What this weakness leads to

MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.

MITRE

CWE-426 · Untrusted Search Path

Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Read Files or Directories

Mitigation: Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-426

Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.

CAPEC-38 · Leveraging/Manipulating Configuration File Search Paths

T1574.007Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable
T1574.009Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted Path

Public exploit

Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.

Repositories

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Review endpoint telemetry for service binary replacement, suspicious service launches, or privilege changes tied to the affected agent.
Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 1 public PoC repositories were reported.

EDR process telemetryhost service logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 7.8 (AV:L)
Aug 25, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Aug 25, 2026 · NVD
Added · GHSA-54xp-3ww7-6wjg published (high)
Aug 25, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisory
CVE published by mitre
Aug 25, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

References

4 on the record

github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-6hwm-xvph-95vm
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nltk-before-arbitrary-code-execution-via-graphviz-dot-binary
Vendor Advisory, Mitre
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-78680
NVD
github.com/advisories/GHSA-54xp-3ww7-6wjg
Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Elsewhere on this site

nltkevery CVE for this vendor
Privilege Escsame class
CWE-426other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-78680 is NLTK before 3.10.3 Arbitrary Code Execution via Graphviz dot Binary, a high vulnerability affecting nltk from nltk. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78680. Public exploit evidence is: 1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.