CVE-2026-9335: Keras HDF5 Links Can Disclose Local Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m8wh-29wm-52mv
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-9335 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) hdf5 links can disclose local vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Keras libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves hdf5 links can disclose local file contents. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.12.3, 3.15.0.

CVE-2026-9335 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-9335
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m8wh-29wm-52mv
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Keras
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-9335

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Keras dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

keras fixed: 3.12.3 
pip install keras>=3.12.3
keras fixed: 3.15.0 
pip install keras>=3.15.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show keras

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2026-9335, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show keras

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Keras in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.12.3), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show keras command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Keras, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A vulnerability in keras-team/keras versions <= 3.14.0 allows arbitrary local HDF5 file content disclosure due to improper handling of HDF5 ExternalLinks. The `KerasFileEditor` and `keras.saving.load_weights` functions bypass the `safe_get_h5_group` and `safe_get_h5_dataset` helpers, which are designed to reject ExternalLinks and SoftLinks. This results in automatic dereferencing of links to external HDF5 files, enabling attackers to disclose sensitive data from the victim's local filesystem. Specifically, `KerasFileEditor` extracts attributes and datasets from linked files into its internal structures, while `keras.saving.load_weights` loads weights from linked files into the user's model. This issue can be exploited by providing a malicious `.h5`, `.weights.h5`, or `.keras` file containing ExternalLinks.

CVE-2026-9335 Affected Keras Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.12.33.15.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
keras
pypi/keras
PyPI
< 3.12.3
3.12.3
keras
pypi/keras
PyPI
≥ 3.13.0
< 3.15.0
3.15.0

References

NVD — CVE-2026-9335 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9335
Keras Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/keras-team/keras/pull/22899
Keras Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/keras-team/keras/pull/23165
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/keras-team/keras/commit/23370f16b0ab9a200f7550a34e54a3ceab74ba0e
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/keras-team/keras/commit/d338a45204bdc787c8b3c4a9b82c1911cd52dedf
Keras Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/keras-team/keras
Keras Release RELEASE
https://github.com/keras-team/keras/releases/tag/v3.12.3
Keras Release RELEASE
https://github.com/keras-team/keras/releases/tag/v3.15.0
huntr.com/bounties/876a7226-5... WEB
https://huntr.com/bounties/876a7226-5428-4a66-9d05-232461120db5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-9335?
CVE-2026-9335 is a security vulnerability in Keras involving HDF5 links can disclose local file contents under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Keras versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.12.3, 3.15.0 across affected packages: keras.
What version fixes CVE-2026-9335?
Upgrading to 3.12.3, 3.15.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is keras affected?
Yes, keras is affected in releases prior to 3.12.3, 3.15.0. Upgrade your dependency to 3.12.3, 3.15.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-9335?
CVE-2026-9335 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-9335?
CVE-2026-9335 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2026-9335?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show keras'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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}