High Authentication

CVE-2026-12199 — Unauthenticated Denial of Service in nltk.app.wordnet_app

A vulnerability in `nltk.app.wordnet_app` up to version 3.9.3 allows unauthenticated remote shutdown of the local WordNet Browser HTTP server when started in its default mode. The server listens on all interfaces and processes a specific unauthenticated GET request (`/SHUTDOWN%20THE%20SERVER`) to terminate the process immediately via `os._exit(0)`. This results in a denial of service, impacting service availability. The issue arises due to insufficient authentication and protection mechanisms for critical server functions.

Published Jun 17, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: @huntr_ai

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+4
Technical severity (high)+6
CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

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

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.33%

ahead of 24% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Nltk

CVSS base

7.5

High · 2 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

Proof of concept

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

Yes

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Partial

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Nltk Nltk).
The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (authentication), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Nltk	Nltk	≤ latest	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

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

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Every base score collected

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

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
7.5	CVSS 3.0	High	3.9	3.6	security@huntr.dev via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.5	CVSS 3.0	High	—	—	@huntr_ai via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: security@huntr.dev)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-306 · Missing Authentication for Critical Function

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.33%

Detection

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

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Review authentication logs: logins without MFA, anomalous sessions and recently created accounts.

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSauthentication logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · nltk/nltk/nltk
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
CVSS changed · 7.5
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Deferred
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Jun 17, 2026 · @huntr_ai

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

huntr.com/bounties/cee4ca6a-d17f-4746-abad-c68119633d37
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Nltk
every CVE for this vendor

Authentication
same class

CWE-306
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2026-109956 NLTK through 3.10.3 Path Traversal via WekaClassifier Model Path 2d
High CVE-2026-81727 Link Following in Nltk Aug 27, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-81724 Uncontrolled Recursion in Nltk Aug 27, 2026
Low CVE-2026-81725 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in Nltk Aug 27, 2026
High CVE-2026-81726 NLTK through 3.10.3 contains a path traversal vulnerability in model-artifact APIs that… Aug 27, 2026
High CVE-2026-81722 nltk PorterStemmer in versions Aug 27, 2026

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 fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
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 record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-12199 is "Unauthenticated Denial of Service in nltk.app.wordnet_app", rated High. It affects Nltk (Nltk); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.33% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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