CVE-2025-12638

CVSS 8.0 HighEPSS 0.0%
  • CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Published: 2025-11-28T15:16:00.270

Keras version 3.11.3 is affected by a path traversal vulnerability in the keras.utils.get_file() function when extracting tar archives. The vulnerability arises because the function uses Python’s tarfile.extractall() method without the security-critical filter=’data’ parameter. Although Keras attempts to filter unsafe paths using filter_safe_paths(), this filtering occurs before extraction, and a PATH_MAX symlink resolution bug triggers during extraction. This bug causes symlink resolution to fail due to path length limits, resulting in a security bypass that allows files to be written outside the intended extraction directory. This can lead to arbitrary file writes outside the cache directory, enabling potential system compromise or malicious code execution. The vulnerability affects Keras installations that process tar archives with get_file() and does not affect versions where this extraction method is secured with the appropriate filter parameter.

Related CVE by CWE

No related CWE found.

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Recently Exploited Similar Vulnerabilities

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How to fix CVE-2025-12638

CVE-2025-12638 is a high severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

Description: Keras version 3.11.3 is affected by a path traversal vulnerability in the keras.utils.get_file() function when extracting tar archives. The vulnerability arises because the function uses Python’s tarfile.extractall() method without the security-critical filter=’data’ parameter. Although Keras attempts to filter unsafe paths using filter_safe_paths(), this filtering occurs before extraction, and a PATH_MAX symlink resolution bug triggers during […]

Exploit Difficulty: MEDIUM
⏱️ Time to exploit: 1-4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Intermediate security knowledge
💰 Public exploits: May be available

How to Fix:

1 Identify affected systems

- Check if you're running the affected product

2 Immediate actions

- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access

3 Verification

- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)

4 Long-term prevention

- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

MEDIUM
⏱️ Time to Exploit: 1-4 hours
🛠️ Skills Required: Intermediate security knowledge
💰 Public Exploits: May be available

Vulnerability Timeline

Nov 28, 2025
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Nov 28, 2025
Imported to Database

Added to this CVE tracking system

Detection Rules & IOCs

No specific detection rules generated for this vulnerability type.

No vendor/product data available.