CVE-2026-26314: Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Denial of Service Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2gjw-fg97-vg3r
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-26314 is a HIGH denial of service vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves go ethereum affected by dos via malicious p2p message. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.16.9.

CVE-2026-26314 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-26314
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2gjw-fg97-vg3r
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-26314

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: 1.16.9
Upgrade github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum to 1.16.9
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-2026-26314, 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 1.16.9), 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. 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 vulnerable node can be forced to shutdown/crash using a specially crafted message. More details to be released later. ### Patches The problem is resolved in the v1.16.9 and v1.17.0 releases of Geth. ### Credit This issue was reported to the Ethereum Foundation Bug Bounty Program by Waleed Ahmed from vulsight.com

CVE-2026-26314 Affected Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.16.9
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
Go
< 1.16.9
1.16.9

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-26314?
CVE-2026-26314 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum involving Go Ethereum affected by DoS via malicious p2p message under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.16.9 across affected packages: github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum.
What version fixes CVE-2026-26314?
Upgrading to 1.16.9 (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 1.16.9. Upgrade your dependency to 1.16.9 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-26314?
CVE-2026-26314 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-26314?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-2gjw-fg97-vg3r",
  "modified" : "2026-02-27T20:38:57Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-18T22:35:15Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-26314" ],
  "summary" : "Go Ethereum affected by DoS via malicious p2p message",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nA vulnerable node can be forced to shutdown/crash using a specially crafted message.\nMore details to be released later.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe problem is resolved in the v1.16.9 and v1.17.0 releases of Geth.\n\n### Credit\n\nThis issue was reported to the Ethereum Foundation Bug Bounty Program by Waleed Ahmed from vulsight.com",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.16.9"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.16.8"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/security/advisories/GHSA-2gjw-fg97-vg3r"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26314"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/commit/895a8597cb16c02203e38707ed2d1da5c500fe60"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/releases/tag/v1.16.9"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-4507"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-18T22:35:15Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-19T22:16:46Z"
  }
}