CVE-2026-26315
ECIES Key Exposure Vulnerability in go-ethereum Node Key
Publication date: 2026-02-19
Last updated on: 2026-02-23
Assigner: GitHub, Inc.
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| ethereum | go_ethereum | to 1.16.9 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-203 | The product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor, which exposes security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
The vulnerability exists in go-ethereum (Geth), a golang implementation of the Ethereum protocol. Before version 1.16.9, there was a flaw in the ECIES cryptography implementation that could allow an attacker to extract parts of the peer-to-peer (p2p) node key.
This flaw means that an attacker might gain partial access to the node's private key used for network communications.
The issue was fixed in versions 1.16.9 and 1.17.0 of Geth, and it is recommended to rotate the node key after upgrading by deleting the nodekey file before restarting Geth.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to extract bits of the p2p node key, potentially compromising the security of the node's network communications.
This could lead to unauthorized access or impersonation of the node within the Ethereum network, undermining trust and security.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
I don't know
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, you should upgrade your go-ethereum (Geth) software to version 1.16.9 or later, as the issue is resolved in versions 1.16.9 and 1.17.0.
After upgrading, it is recommended to rotate the node key by removing the file <datadir>/geth/nodekey before starting Geth again.