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Ethereum CVE-2026-26315

HIGH
Observable Discrepancy (CWE-203)
2026-02-19 security-advisories@github.com GHSA-m6j8-rg6r-7mv8
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · GitHub Advisory
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Connect to vulnerable Geth p2p node
  2. Exploit
    Exploit ECIES cryptography flaw
  3. Execution
    Extract p2p node key bits
  4. Impact
    Compromise node identity

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Timing-safe comparisons
Exploitation Conditions

Geth versions prior to 1.16.9 or 1.17.0 with p2p networking enabled. Attacker requires network access to the node's p2p port (default 30303) without authentication required.

Impact

CVSS 7.5 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

Go Ethereum (Geth) versions prior to 1.16.9 contain a cryptographic implementation flaw in ECIES that allows remote attackers to extract portions of the p2p node key without authentication. This exposure could compromise the confidentiality of node communications and potentially enable impersonation or network-level attacks against affected Ethereum nodes. Administrators should upgrade to version 1.16.9 or later and rotate their node keys by deleting the nodekey file.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 22:03 CVSS 7.5

go-ethereum (Geth) is a golang execution layer implementation of the Ethereum protocol. Prior to version 1.16.9, through a flaw in the ECIES cryptography implementation, an attacker may be able to extract bits of the p2p node key. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]

RemediationAI

Monitor vendor advisories for a patch. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affected Packages

go github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum fix: 1.16.9

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in go

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Affects Go Ethereum. go-ethereum (Geth) is a golang execution layer implementation of the Ethereum protocol. Prior to version 1.16.9, through a flaw in the ECIES cryptography implementation, an attacker may be able to extract bits of the p2p node key. The issue is resolved in the v1.16.9 and v1.17.0 releases of Geth. Geth maintainers recommend rotating the node key after applying the upgrade, which can be done by removing the file <datadir>/geth/nodekey before starting Geth.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

GitHub Advisory PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
SUSE HIGH

Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.

CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch released
Mar 31, 2026 - 21:13 nvd
Patch available
CVE Published
Feb 19, 2026 - 22:16 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionGitHub Advisory

go-ethereum (Geth) is a golang execution layer implementation of the Ethereum protocol. Prior to version 1.16.9, through a flaw in the ECIES cryptography implementation, an attacker may be able to extract bits of the p2p node key. The issue is resolved in the v1.16.9 and v1.17.0 releases of Geth. Geth maintainers recommend rotating the node key after applying the upgrade, which can be done by removing the file <datadir>/geth/nodekey before starting Geth.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A HIGH severity vulnerability in go-ethereum (Geth) could allow attackers to extract cryptographic key material from Ethereum nodes, potentially compromising network communications and node security. Organizations running Geth versions prior to 1.16.9 face immediate risk of p2p node key exposure, which could enable node impersonation, network surveillance, or consensus attacks.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Network segmentation: restrict p2p port access (default 30303) to whitelisted peers only via firewall rules. Disable UPnP/NAT-PMP to prevent automatic port exposure. Implement egress filtering to limit node communication to essential peers. Monitor for suspicious peer connections and implement peer reputation systems. Consider running nodes in isolated network segments with minimal trust from broader infrastructure. Rotate node keys frequently as a temporary measure. Monitor Geth repository releases for patch availability—no current patch exists; apply immediately upon release.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 93% exploitable
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

38
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory

cpe:2.3:a:ethereum:go_ethereum:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
CVE-2018-18920 HIGH POC
8.8 Nov 12

Py-EVM v0.2.0-alpha.33 allows attackers to make a vm.execute_bytecode call that triggers computation._stack.values with

CVE-2022-23328 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 04

A design flaw in all versions of Go-Ethereum allows an attacker node to send 5120 pending transactions of a high gas pri

CVE-2022-23327 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 04

A design flaw in Go-Ethereum 1.10.12 and older versions allows an attacker node to send 5120 future transactions with a

CVE-2023-42319 HIGH POC
7.5 Oct 18

Geth (aka go-ethereum) through 1.13.4, when --http --graphql is used, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of servi

CVE-2022-1930 HIGH POC
7.5 Aug 22

An exponential ReDoS (Regular Expression Denial of Service) can be triggered in the eth-account PyPI package, when an at

CVE-2018-20421 HIGH POC
7.5 Dec 24

Go Ethereum (aka geth) 1.8.19 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by rewriting the length

CVE-2018-19184 HIGH POC
7.5 Nov 12

cmd/evm/runner.go in Go Ethereum (aka geth) 1.8.17 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (SEGV) via crafted byte

CVE-2018-12018 HIGH POC
7.5 Jul 05

The GetBlockHeadersMsg handler in the LES protocol implementation in Go Ethereum (aka geth) before 1.8.11 may lead to an

CVE-2022-37450 MEDIUM POC
5.9 Aug 05

Go Ethereum (aka geth) through 1.10.21 allows attackers to increase rewards by mining blocks in certain situations, and

CVE-2026-48100 HIGH
8.7 Sep 28

Circuit soundness failure in Payy (polybase/payy) prior to 1.3.0 lets an authorized rollup prover smuggle an extra burn

CVE-2026-26314 HIGH
7.5 Feb 19

Geth versions prior to 1.16.9 can be remotely crashed by sending a specially crafted message over the network, allowing

CVE-2026-22868 HIGH
7.5 Jan 13

Go Ethereum (geth) nodes can be remotely crashed through maliciously crafted network messages, causing denial of service

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
openSUSE Leap 15.6 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP5 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP6 Fixed
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Fixed

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