CVE-2018-16873
In Go before 1.10.6 and 1.11.x before 1.11.3, the "go get" command is vulnerable to remote code execution when executed with the -u flag and the import path of a malicious Go package, or a package that imports it directly or indirectly. Specifically, it is only vulnerable in GOPATH mode, but not in module mode (the distinction is documented at https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Module_aware_go_get). Using custom domains, it's possible to arrange things so that a Git repository is cloned to a folder named ".git" by using a vanity import path that ends with "/.git". If the Git repository root contains a "HEAD" file, a "config" file, an "objects" directory, a "refs" directory, with some work to ensure the proper ordering of operations, "go get -u" can be tricked into considering the parent directory as a repository root, and running Git commands on it. That will use the "config" file in the original Git repository root for its configuration, and if that config file contains malicious commands, they will execute on the system running "go get -u".
Key facts
- CVSS score
- 8.1 (v3.1)
- Severity
- HIGH
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-20
- EPSS score
- 66.3% (99th percentile)
- In CISA KEV
- No
- In EU EUVD
- Yes (EUVD-2018-8664)
- Published
- December 14, 2018
- NVD last modified
- June 17, 2026
- Status
- Modified
EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)
This vulnerability is also tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2018-8664 in the EU Vulnerability Database. Last updated in EUVD on August 5, 2024.
View on the EU Vulnerability DatabaseAffected products
- debian / debian linux
- golang / go
- opensuse / backports sle
- opensuse / leap
- opensuse / leap
- opensuse / leap
- suse / linux enterprise server
Certified products that may be affected
1 FIPS 140 or Common Criteria certified product, from automated matching by sec-certs.org.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Version 12 - SUSE LLC - Common Criteria BSI-DSZ-CC-0962-2016 - archived
References
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-03/msg00044.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-05/msg00060.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00011.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00015.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00010.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-04/msg00041.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106226(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16873(Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory)
- https://groups.google.com/forum/?pli=1#%21topic/golang-announce/Kw31K8G7Fi0
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/03/msg00014.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/03/msg00015.html(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201812-09(Mitigation, Third Party Advisory)
Last updated September 17, 2026 · Source: NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS
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