CVE-2026-24051: Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk OpenTelemetry Go SDK Vulnerable To Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq
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CVSS 7.0
CWE-426
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-24051 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.0) opentelemetry go sdk vulnerable to vulnerability (CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path) affecting Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves opentelemetry go sdk vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via path hijacking. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.40.0.

CVE-2026-24051 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-24051
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.0
CWE Classification CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path
Affected Product Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.0

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-24051

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk fixed: 1.40.0 
Upgrade go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk to 1.40.0
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 go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-24051, inspect your project dependencies for Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk:

inspect dependencies for go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.40.0), 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-426: Untrusted Search Path, where the product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control. In Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk, 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 The OpenTelemetry Go SDK in version `v1.20.0`-`1.39.0` is vulnerable to Path Hijacking (Untrusted Search Paths) on macOS/Darwin systems. The resource detection code in `sdk/resource/host_id.go` executes the `ioreg` system command using a search path. An attacker with the ability to locally modify the PATH environment variable can achieve Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE) within the context of the application. ### Patches This has been patched in [d45961b](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/commit/d45961bcda453fcbdb6469c22d6e88a1f9970a53), which was released with `v1.40.0`. ### References - [CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/426.html)

CVE-2026-24051 Affected Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.40.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk
golang/go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk
Go
≥ 1.21.0
< 1.40.0
1.40.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/security/advisories/GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq
NVD — CVE-2026-24051 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24051
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/commit/d45961bcda453fcbdb6469c22d6e88a1f9970a53
Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go
pkg.go.dev/vuln/go-2026-4394 WEB
https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-4394

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-24051?
CVE-2026-24051 is a security vulnerability in Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk involving OpenTelemetry Go SDK Vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution via PATH Hijacking under CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path.
Which Go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.40.0 across affected packages: go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk.
What version fixes CVE-2026-24051?
Upgrading to 1.40.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk affected?
Yes, go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk is affected in releases prior to 1.40.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.40.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-24051?
CVE-2026-24051 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.0 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-24051?
CVE-2026-24051 is classified under CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path (The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-24051?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk'. 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-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq",
  "modified" : "2026-02-27T21:39:46Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-02T20:07:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-24051" ],
  "summary" : "OpenTelemetry Go SDK Vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution via PATH Hijacking",
  "details" : "### Impact\nThe OpenTelemetry Go SDK in version `v1.20.0`-`1.39.0` is vulnerable to Path Hijacking (Untrusted Search Paths) on macOS/Darwin systems. The resource detection code in `sdk/resource/host_id.go` executes the `ioreg` system command using a search path. An attacker with the ability to locally modify the PATH environment variable can achieve Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE) within the context of the application.\n\n### Patches\nThis has been patched in [d45961b](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/commit/d45961bcda453fcbdb6469c22d6e88a1f9970a53), which was released with `v1.40.0`.\n\n### References\n- [CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/426.html)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.21.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.40.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/security/advisories/GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24051"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/commit/d45961bcda453fcbdb6469c22d6e88a1f9970a53"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-4394"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-426" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-02T20:07:46Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-02T23:16:07Z"
  }
}