CVE-2025-12060: keras Path Traversal

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2025-12060 is a high (CVSS 8.9) Path Traversal vulnerability in keras. EPSS estimates a 0.63% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 49.2% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 30-10-2025
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 26-02-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

The keras.utils.get_file API in Keras, when used with the extract=True option for tar archives, is vulnerable to a path traversal attack. The utility uses Python's tarfile.extractall function without the filter="data" feature. A remote attacker can craft a malicious tar archive containing special symlinks, which, when extracted, allows them to write arbitrary files to any location on the filesystem outside of the intended destination folder. This vulnerability is linked to the underlying Python tarfile weakness, identified as CVE-2025-4517. Note that upgrading Python to one of the versions that fix CVE-2025-4517 (e.g. Python 3.13.4) is not enough. One additionally needs to upgrade Keras to a version with the fix (Keras 3.12).

• CWE-22Improper 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.