CVE-2026-44740: go-billy Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-44740 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')) affecting go-billy libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves lack of depth and cycle detection in symlink resolution may lead to infinite loops and resource exhaustion. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.9.0, 6.0.0-alpha.1.
CVE-2026-44740 at a Glance
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).
How to Fix CVE-2026-44740
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected go-billy dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
Upgrade github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5 to 5.9.0Upgrade github.com/go-git/go-billy/v6 to 6.0.0-alpha.1Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-44740, inspect your project dependencies for go-billy:
inspect dependencies for github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of go-billy in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.9.0), 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-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop'), where the product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop. In go-billy, 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
CVE-2026-44740 Affected go-billy Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5
|
Go |
< 5.9.0
|
5.9.0
|
|
github.com/go-git/go-billy/v6
|
Go |
< 6.0.0-alpha.1
|
6.0.0-alpha.1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-44740?
Which go-billy versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-44740?
Is github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5 affected?
Is github.com/go-git/go-billy/v6 affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-44740?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-44740?
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-44740?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-m3xc-h892-ggx6",
"modified" : "2026-06-09T10:50:07Z",
"published" : "2026-05-13T15:29:47Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-44740" ],
"summary" : "go-billy: Lack of depth and cycle detection in symlink resolution may lead to infinite loops and resource exhaustion",
"details" : "### Impact\nMultiple components may improperly handle crafted or malformed input, resulting in panics, infinite loops, uncontrolled recursion, or excessive resource consumption.\n\nThese issues arise from insufficient validation and missing safety mechanisms such as cycle detection, recursion limits, or defensive handling of unexpected states when processing untrusted repository data and filesystem structures.\n\n### Patches\nUsers should upgrade to a patched version in order to mitigate this vulnerability. Versions prior to `v5` are likely to be affected, users are recommended to upgrade to a supported `go-billy` version.\n\n### Credits\nThanks to @faran66 for finding and reporting this issue privately to the go-git project. 🙇",
"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/go-git/go-billy/v5"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "5.9.0"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "github.com/go-git/go-billy/v6"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "6.0.0-alpha.1"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/go-git/go-billy/security/advisories/GHSA-m3xc-h892-ggx6"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44740"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/go-git/go-billy"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/go-git/go-billy/releases/tag/v5.9.0"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/go-git/go-billy/releases/tag/v6.0.0-alpha.1"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-674", "CWE-835" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-13T15:29:47Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-01T17:17:08Z"
}
}