CVE-2020-26264: Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r33q-22hv-j29q
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-26264 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves denial of service in github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.9.25.

CVE-2020-26264 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-26264
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r33q-22hv-j29q
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-26264

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum fixed: 1.9.25 
Upgrade github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum to 1.9.25
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2020-26264, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum:

inspect dependencies for github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.9.25), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact A DoS vulnerability can make a LES server crash via malicious `GetProofsV2` request from a connected LES client. ### Patches The vulnerability was patched in https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/21896. ### Workarounds This vulnerability only concerns users explicitly enabling `les` server; disabling `les` prevents the exploit. It can also be patched by manually applying the patch in https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/21896. ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in [go-ethereum](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum) * Email us at [security@ethereum.org](mailto:security@ethereum.org)

CVE-2020-26264 Affected Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.9.25
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
golang/github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
Go
< 1.9.25
1.9.25

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/security/advisories/GHSA-r33q-22hv-j29q
NVD — CVE-2020-26264 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-26264
Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/21896
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/commit/bddd103a9f0af27ef533f04e06ea429cf76b6d46
Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Release RELEASE
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/releases/tag/v1.9.25
pkg.go.dev/vuln/go-2021-0063 WEB
https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2021-0063

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-26264?
CVE-2020-26264 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum involving Denial of service in github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.9.25 across affected packages: github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum.
What version fixes CVE-2020-26264?
Upgrading to 1.9.25 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum affected?
Yes, github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum is affected in releases prior to 1.9.25. Upgrade your dependency to 1.9.25 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-26264?
CVE-2020-26264 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-26264?
CVE-2020-26264 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2020-26264?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-r33q-22hv-j29q",
  "modified" : "2023-02-09T19:39:22Z",
  "published" : "2021-06-29T21:14:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-26264" ],
  "summary" : "Denial of service in github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nA DoS vulnerability can make a LES server crash via malicious `GetProofsV2` request from a connected LES client.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe vulnerability was patched in https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/21896. \n\n### Workarounds\n\nThis vulnerability only concerns users explicitly enabling `les` server; disabling `les` prevents the exploit. \nIt can also be patched by manually applying the patch in https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/21896. \n\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open an issue in [go-ethereum](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum)\n* Email us at [security@ethereum.org](mailto:security@ethereum.org)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.9.25"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/security/advisories/GHSA-r33q-22hv-j29q"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-26264"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/21896"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/commit/bddd103a9f0af27ef533f04e06ea429cf76b6d46"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/releases/tag/v1.9.25"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2021-0063"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-21T21:45:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}