Description
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.
CVSS breakdown
CVSS 3.0
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Affected products
- nltk / nltk/nltkunspecified – latest