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Keras: HDF5 links can disclose local file contents

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Aug 2, 2026 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Aug 7, 2026

Package

pip keras (pip)

Affected versions

< 3.12.3
>= 3.13.0, < 3.15.0

Patched versions

3.12.3
3.15.0

Description

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.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Aug 2, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Aug 2, 2026
Reviewed Aug 7, 2026
Last updated Aug 7, 2026

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(48th percentile)

Weaknesses

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. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-9335

GHSA ID

GHSA-m8wh-29wm-52mv

Source code

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