How to Fix CVE-2026-39378: Path traversal in nbconvert

By Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified: 2026-05-25.

What is CVE-2026-39378?

The nbconvert tool, jupyter nbconvert, converts Jupyter notebooks to various other formats via Jinja templates. In versions 6.5 through 7.17.0, when HTMLExporter.embed_images=True, nbconvert's markdown renderer allows arbitrary file read via path traversal in image references. A malicious notebook can exfiltrate sensitive files from the conversion host by embedding them as base64 data URIs in the output HTML. nbconvert 7.17.1 contains a fix.

Am I affected?

Run the version check that matches your platform:

# Linux
dpkg -s nbconvert 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
rpm -q nbconvert 2>/dev/null
nbconvert --version 2>/dev/null

Compare what you see against the Affected row above (jupyter nbconvert >= 6.5, < 7.17.1). If your build sits inside that range, you are exposed and should patch.

How to fix CVE-2026-39378

The primary fix is to upgrade nbconvert to the patched build. Use the commands for your platform below; the patched version listed in the vendor advisory is: nbconvert 7.17.1.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade nbconvert
nbconvert --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s nbconvert | grep -i version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf upgrade --security nbconvert -y
rpm -q nbconvert

SUSE / openSUSE

sudo zypper patch --category security
rpm -q nbconvert

Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)

# Fix script for CVE-2026-39378 affecting nbconvert
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath  = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-39378-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append

try {
    Write-Host "[1/4] Detecting installed version of nbconvert"
    $pkg = winget list --id "nbconvert" 2>$null
    Write-Host $pkg

    Write-Host "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
    $backup = "C:\Backup\nbconvert-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
    Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\nbconvert" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
        Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Write-Host "[3/4] Applying upgrade to nbconvert 7.17.1"
    winget upgrade --id "nbconvert" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
    # Fallback: Windows Update for OS-level fixes
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
        Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
    }

    Write-Host "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
    winget list --id "nbconvert"
    Write-Host "Fix applied. Reboot if prompted."
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
    exit 1
} finally {
    Stop-Transcript
}

Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2026-39378 affecting nbconvert
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2026-39378-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1

echo "[1/4] Detecting installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s nbconvert 2>/dev/null | grep -i version || echo "nbconvert not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q nbconvert || echo "nbconvert not installed via rpm"
fi

echo "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2026-39378-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/nbconvert /etc/nbconvert.d /etc/nbconvert.conf; do
    [ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done

echo "[3/4] Applying upgrade (target: nbconvert 7.17.1)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
    apt-get update
    apt-get install --only-upgrade -y nbconvert
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
    dnf upgrade --security -y nbconvert
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
    yum update -y nbconvert
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
    zypper --non-interactive patch --category security
fi

echo "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s nbconvert 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q nbconvert
fi
echo "Done. Restart any running daemons that loaded the old library."

If you can't patch immediately

If you cannot apply the patched version today, restrict exposure with one of the following runnable controls. None replace the patch.

Network restriction (Linux, nftables)

# Block inbound traffic to the affected service from untrusted networks
sudo nft add table inet filter
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }'
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {443, 80} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset

Service-level fallback

# If the affected feature is optional, stop the service until the patch is applied
sudo systemctl stop nbconvert
sudo systemctl disable nbconvert

How to verify the fix worked

# Linux
nbconvert --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s nbconvert | grep -i version
rpm -q nbconvert 2>/dev/null || true

# Windows
winget list | findstr /I "nbconvert"
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

Expected: the reported version is at or above nbconvert 7.17.1. Restart any services that loaded the old library (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, restart the Windows service or reboot when prompted). For network appliances, run show version on the device and confirm the build matches the patched release.

Frequently asked questions

Related fixes

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

• How to Fix CVE-2026-26033: Unquoted search path or element in UPS Multi-UPS Management Console (MUMC) — Unquoted search path or element in UPS Multi-UPS Management Console (MUMC)
• How to Fix CVE-2026-0503: Critical Vulnerability in SAP ERP Central Component and SAP S/4HANA (SAP EHS Management) — Critical Vulnerability in SAP ERP Central Component and SAP S/4HANA (SAP EHS Management)
• How to Fix CVE-2026-25411: Critical Vulnerability in Revision Manager TMC , Critical Vulnerability in Revision Manager TMC
• How to Fix CVE-2026-9104: Cross-Site Scripting in Draft List , Cross-Site Scripting in Draft List
• How to Fix CVE-2026-34528: CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management in filebrowser , CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management in filebrowser

Is CVE-2026-39378 actually being exploited?

According to the data sources above, no public confirmation of in-the-wild exploitation at this time. Either way, the fix is the same: apply the vendor patch.

Do I need to reboot after patching?

For OS or kernel updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough. Any process that loaded the old shared library keeps using it until restarted, so when in doubt, reboot.

What is the CVSS score?

6.5 (medium). Refer to the vendor advisory for the exact vector string.

Where is the official advisory?

See the References section at the bottom of this page; the vendor's URL is the authoritative source for affected builds and patched versions.

References

• Official vendor advisory: https://github.com/jupyter/nbconvert/security/advisories/GHSA-7jqv-fw35-gmx9
• NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-39378
• https://github.com/jupyter/nbconvert/releases/tag/v7.17.1

*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Assembled from the official vendor advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.*