CVE-2026-97042
Linker flag injection via cgo_import_dynamic and PE DLL names in cmd/cgo, cmd/compile, and cmd/link
Description
Building a malicious package that uses "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" or links against a crafted PE object on Windows could pass unsafe library arguments to the external linker. The compiler only checked the first character of the library name in "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" directives and skipped validation in cgo-generated files. In addition, on Windows, "cmd/cgo" and "cmd/link" did not validate imported DLL names extracted from PE object files before emitting "-l<name>" flags for the external linker, allowing a crafted DLL name containing ".." path traversal or special characters to reference arbitrary files on disk. The compiler now validates every character of the library name in "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" directives (including in cgo-generated files on Windows) and rejects ".." path traversal, and "cmd/cgo" and "cmd/link" reject PE imported DLL names containing path separators, "..", ":", or leading "-" or "@".
INFO
Published Date :
Nov. 11, 2026, 5:19 a.m.
Last Modified :
Nov. 11, 2026, 5:19 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-97042
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
Solution
- Update the Go toolchain.
- Validate library names in directives.
- Reject unsafe DLL names.
- Validate PE imported DLL names.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-97042.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://go.dev/cl/862155 | |
| https://go.dev/issue/82568 | |
| https://groups.google.com/g/golang-announce/c/iY8TY0wWgbM | |
| https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-6849 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-97042 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-97042
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-97042 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-97042 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Nov. 11, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description Building a malicious package that uses "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" or links against a crafted PE object on Windows could pass unsafe library arguments to the external linker. The compiler only checked the first character of the library name in "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" directives and skipped validation in cgo-generated files. In addition, on Windows, "cmd/cgo" and "cmd/link" did not validate imported DLL names extracted from PE object files before emitting "-l<name>" flags for the external linker, allowing a crafted DLL name containing ".." path traversal or special characters to reference arbitrary files on disk. The compiler now validates every character of the library name in "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" directives (including in cgo-generated files on Windows) and rejects ".." path traversal, and "cmd/cgo" and "cmd/link" reject PE imported DLL names containing path separators, "..", ":", or leading "-" or "@". Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97042.json">CVE-2026-97042</a> Added Reference https://go.dev/cl/862155 Added Reference https://go.dev/issue/82568 Added Reference https://groups.google.com/g/golang-announce/c/iY8TY0wWgbM Added Reference https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-6849