Vulnerability Details:

• Package: nltk
• Affected Versions: < 3.9
• Severity: High
• Issue: Unsafe deserialization vulnerability
• CVE: Related to pickle deserialization in NLTK

Resolution:

• Previous Version: nltk==3.8.1 ❌
• Updated Version: nltk>=3.9 ✅
• Status: FIXED

1. Updated backend/requirements.txt:

   • Changed from nltk==3.8.1 to nltk>=3.9

2. Updated ALL_CODE_FILES.md:

   • Documentation reflects the secure version

When installing dependencies, use:

pip install -r backend/requirements.txt

This will automatically install NLTK version 3.9 or higher, which includes the security patch.

To verify the installed version:

pip show nltk

Expected output should show version >= 3.9

• All dependencies pinned or have minimum version requirements
• Regular security updates recommended

• Parameterized queries used in all database operations
• SQL injection protection via SQLAlchemy ORM
• No raw SQL execution with user input

• FastAPI Pydantic models validate all inputs
• Query parameters have limits and type checking
• File uploads not allowed (PDF is export only)

• CORS can be configured as needed
• Rate limiting should be added in production
• Authentication/Authorization should be added for production use

• Connection credentials stored in environment variables
• Uses .env files (excluded from git)
• Database user should have limited permissions

from fastapi.security import HTTPBearer

security = HTTPBearer()

@app.get("/items")
async def list_items(credentials: HTTPBearer = Depends(security)):
    # Verify token
    pass

pip install slowapi

• Use reverse proxy (nginx/traefik)
• Obtain SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt)

Ensure these are never committed:

• Database passwords
• API keys
• Secret keys

• Monitor dependencies for vulnerabilities
• Use tools like safety or pip-audit:

pip install safety
safety check

All known vulnerabilities have been addressed. The codebase follows security best practices for a development/staging environment.

For production deployment, implement the additional recommendations above.

Last Updated: 2026-01-30