CVE-2026-26315
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 · uneditedgo-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.
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 confidenceA cryptographic flaw in Geth's ECIES (Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme) implementation allows an attacker to extract bits of the p2p node key, compromising the node's cryptographic identity in the Ethereum network.
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< 1.16.9CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.
-
Check installed Geth versionRun 'geth version' and note the version number in the outputAffected if The version is below 1.16.9 (e.g., 1.16.8, 1.16.7, 1.15.x, etc.)
-
Verify Geth is running as a p2p nodeCheck if Geth is actively listening on p2p ports (typically 30303 TCP/UDP) using 'netstat -tuln | grep 30303' or similar network inspectionAffected if Geth is listening on p2p ports and the version is below 1.16.9
-
Confirm nodekey file existsInspect for the presence of the file <datadir>/geth/nodekey (commonly ~/.ethereum/geth/nodekey or /data/geth/nodekey)Affected if The nodekey file exists and Geth version is below 1.16.9 - the ECIES flaw could have been exploited to expose this key
-
Check if ECIES encryption is in useReview Geth configuration for p2p settings - ECIES is used by default for node-to-node communication in the Ethereum networkAffected if Geth is configured for p2p networking (default setting) and version is below 1.16.9
A system is affected if it runs Geth version below 1.16.9 with p2p networking enabled and has an existing nodekey file, as the ECIES flaw could have allowed extraction of the node's private key.
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.
dbcve · scoped1.16.9
Upgrade Geth to version 1.16.9 or 1.17.0, then rotate the node key by removing the file `<datadir>/geth/nodekey` before restarting the node.
v1.16.9 or v1.17.0 (v1.17.0 recommended for latest stable release)
- 1. Stop any running Geth instance
- 2. Upgrade Geth to version 1.16.9 or 1.17.0
- 3. Remove the existing node key file at <datadir>/geth/nodekey before starting Geth
- 4. Start the upgraded Geth instance (it will automatically generate a new node key)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-26315 — 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-2026-26315 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data