CVE-2026-81722
nltk PorterStemmer in versions <= 3.10.2 (fixed in 3.10.3) contains an inefficient-algorithmic-complexity denial of service in PorterStemmer.stem(). The _is_consonant() helper walks backward over the entire run of trailing 'y' characters on every call, and _measure() invokes it for each stem position, causing O(n^2) behavior. A single ~20-50 KB untrusted token consisting of a long run of the letter 'y' followed by a matching suffix (e.g., 'ness') can pin a CPU core for seconds to minutes, causing availability impact.
Published:Aug 27, 2026
Last Modified:Aug 31, 2026
EPS:Aug 27, 2026
EPSS Score:0.00363
CVSS Score:7.5
Affected Products
Vendor
Product
Action
Vendor
Nltk
Product
Nltk
Nltk
Nltk
Exploits
Common Weakness Enumeration
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
No CAPEC recorded yet
Related CVEs
Common Vulnerability Scoring System
Attack Vector
Network
Adjacent
Local
Physical
Privileges Required
None
Low
High
User Interaction
None
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Low
High
Integrity
None
Low
High
Availability
None
Low
High
