# CVE-2025-53000: nbconvert has an uncontrolled search path that leads to unauthorized code execution on Windows

> An attacker can execute arbitrary code on Windows by placing a malicious batch file in the current directory when converting notebooks to PDF.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 18 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** CLEANSTART-2026-TE10956, CLEANSTART-2026-ZJ55298, GHSA-xm59-rqc7-hhvf, PYSEC-2026-1691, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-53000

## What is CVE-2025-53000?

CVE-2025-53000 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in jupyter nbconvert, published on 17 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The nbconvert tool, jupyter nbconvert, converts Jupyter notebooks to various other formats via Jinja templates. Versions of nbconvert up to and including 7.16.6 on Windows have a vulnerability in which converting a notebook containing SVG output to a PDF results in unauthorized code execution. Specifically, a third party can create a `inkscape.bat` file that defines a Windows batch script, capable of arbitrary code execution. When a user runs `jupyter nbconvert --to pdf` on a notebook containing SVG output to a PDF on a Windows platform from this directory, the `inkscape.bat` file is run unexpectedly. This issue has been patched in version 7.17.0.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-53000?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including nbconvert. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nbconvert` | PyPI | All versions | 7.17.0 |
| `nbconvert` | PyPI | All versions | 7.17.0 |
| `nbconvert` | PyPI | All versions | 7.17.0 |

Products: Jupyter Nbconvert.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-53000?

Upgrade nbconvert to 7.17.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-53000 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-53000 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in jupyter nbconvert

- [CVE-2026-39377](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-39377/): nbconvert has an Arbitrary File Write via Path Traversal in Cell Attachment Filenames (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2026-39378](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-39378/): nbconvert has an Arbitrary File Read via Path Traversal in HTMLExporter Image Embedding (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-53000 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-53000 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in jupyter nbconvert, published on 17 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-53000 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nbconvert (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 7.17.0
- nbconvert (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 7.17.0
- nbconvert (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 7.17.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53000/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53000/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-53000
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53000
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53000

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53000/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.