Summary
scikit-learn sensitive data leakage vulnerability
A sensitive data leakage vulnerability was identified in scikit-learn's TfidfVectorizer, specifically in versions up to and including 1.4.1.post1, which was fixed in version 1.5.0. The vulnerability arises from the unexpected storage of all tokens present in the training data within the stop_words_ attribute, rather than only storing the subset of tokens required for the TF-IDF technique to function. This behavior leads to the potential leakage of sensitive information, as the stop_words_ attribute could contain tokens that were meant to be discarded and not stored, such as passwords or keys. The impact of this vulnerability varies based on the nature of the data being processed by the vectorizer.
Impact
CVE-2024-5206 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.5.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-5206? CVE-2024-5206 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in scikit-learn (pip), affecting versions < 1.5.0. It is fixed in 1.5.0.
- How severe is CVE-2024-5206? CVE-2024-5206 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of scikit-learn are affected by CVE-2024-5206? scikit-learn (pip) versions < 1.5.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-5206? Yes. CVE-2024-5206 is fixed in 1.5.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-5206 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-5206 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2024-5206 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-5206? Upgrade
scikit-learnto 1.5.0 or later.