CVE-2026-26315: Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Go Ethereum Improperly Validates The Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m6j8-rg6r-7mv8
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CWE-203
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-26315 is a MODERATE go ethereum improperly validates the vulnerability (CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy) affecting Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves go ethereum improperly validates the ecies public key in rlpx handshake. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.16.9.

CVE-2026-26315 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-26315
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m6j8-rg6r-7mv8
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy
Affected Product Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-26315

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-2026-26315, 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-203: Observable Discrepancy, where the product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor. 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 Through a flaw in the ECIES cryptography implementation, an attacker may be able to extract bits of the p2p node key. ### Patches The issue is resolved in the v1.16.9 and v1.17.0 releases of Geth. We recommend rotating the node key after applying the upgrade, which can be done by removing the file `<datadir>/geth/nodekey` before starting Geth. ### Credit The issue was reported as a public pull request to go-ethereum by @fengjian.

CVE-2026-26315 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
golang/github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
Go
< 1.16.9
1.16.9

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/security/advisories/GHSA-m6j8-rg6r-7mv8
NVD — CVE-2026-26315 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26315
Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/33669
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/commit/46bee92f9e64c0a06a12586a5d21cffc49d1ba8e
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/v1.16.9
pkg.go.dev/vuln/go-2026-4511 WEB
https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-4511

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-26315?
CVE-2026-26315 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/ethereum/go ethereum involving Go Ethereum Improperly Validates the ECIES Public Key in RLPx Handshake under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy.
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-2026-26315?
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-2026-26315?
CVE-2026-26315 is classified under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy (The product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-26315?
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-m6j8-rg6r-7mv8",
  "modified" : "2026-02-27T20:44:58Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-18T22:36:06Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-26315" ],
  "summary" : "Go Ethereum Improperly Validates the ECIES Public Key in RLPx Handshake",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nThrough a flaw in the ECIES cryptography implementation, an attacker may be able to extract bits of the p2p node key.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe issue is resolved in the v1.16.9 and v1.17.0 releases of Geth. We recommend rotating the node key after applying the upgrade, which can be done by removing the file `<datadir>/geth/nodekey` before starting Geth.\n\n### Credit\n\nThe issue was reported as a public pull request to go-ethereum by @fengjian.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/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-m6j8-rg6r-7mv8"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26315"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/33669"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/commit/46bee92f9e64c0a06a12586a5d21cffc49d1ba8e"
  }, {
    "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-2026-4511"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-203" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-18T22:36:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-19T22:16:46Z"
  }
}