GoApplication · Golang
CVE-2020-28367
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedCode injection in the go command with cgo before Go 1.14.12 and Go 1.15.5 allows arbitrary code execution at build time via malicious gcc flags specified via a #cgo directive.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceVulnerability in Go's cgo feature allows arbitrary code execution at build time. Attackers can inject malicious code through specially crafted gcc flags specified within #cgo directives in Go source files. When the Go build process invokes gcc for CGO compilation, these attacker-controlled flags are passed directly to the compiler, enabling execution of arbitrary code during the build process.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
GoApplication
< 1.14.12>= 1.15, < 1.15.5CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Go versionRun 'go version' to determine the Go version in use. Compare this version against the affected ranges: < 1.14.12 or >= 1.15.0 and < 1.15.5.Affected if The Go version is 1.14.x before 1.14.12, or 1.15.x before 1.15.5.
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Identify cgo usage in source codeSearch for '#cgo' directives in all .go files within the project: 'grep -r "#cgo" --include="*.go" .' This identifies files that invoke the cgo compiler.Affected if The codebase contains any #cgo directives in Go source files.
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Inspect cgo directives for unsafe gcc flagsExamine the CFLAGS, LDFLAGS, and pkgconfig values in each #cgo directive found. Look for flags that could execute shell commands, such as those containing '$(', '`', or dangerous compiler flags like '-Wl,--wrap'.Affected if Any #cgo directive contains gcc flags that could be leveraged for arbitrary code execution (e.g., shell command substitution or linker's --wrap flag).
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Verify cgo is actually enabled in buildsCheck if CGO_ENABLED=1 is used during the build process, or if the project imports any packages that trigger cgo compilation. Run 'go env CGO_ENABLED' to check the default state.Affected if CGO_ENABLED is set to 1 and the build process invokes gcc for mixed Go/C compilation.
You are affected if your Go version is before 1.14.12 or between 1.15.0 and 1.15.5, AND your codebase uses #cgo directives with attacker-controlled gcc flags that could be exploited during build time.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data1.14.121.15.5
Upgrade Go to version 1.14.12, 1.15.5, or later. Additionally, audit all #cgo directives in the codebase to ensure no malicious gcc flags are present, and implement build pipeline controls to validate cgo flags.
Fix this in Go
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,040.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-28367 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-28367 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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