Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-56857: Root.Mkdir(All) can follow junctions out of the root on Windows in os
On Windows, when the target of Root.Mkdir or Root.MkdirAll is a junction pointing to an empty location, the operation can create a directory at the junction target even when that target is located outside the root.
CVSS 9.8 Critical EPSS 0.5% · p41 Patch this week
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.5%, percentile 41: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 41% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Editorial verdict: Patch this week. Go October 2026 Security Releases: 16 Stdlib Fixes — Rebuild and redeploy Go services with Go 1.27.3 or 1.26.10 this week, starting with internet-facing HTTP/2 servers and reverse proxies; none of these bugs is known to be exploited.
What it is
On Windows, when the target of Root.Mkdir or Root.MkdirAll is a junction pointing to an empty location, the operation can create a directory at the junction target even when that target is located outside the root. This only applies to operations where the last path component is a junction (path/to/junction, but not path/junction/target).
Weakness type: CWE-1386.
Product: Go standard library os · Assigned by: Go · Published: 2026-10-08
Affected and fixed versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| Go standard library | os | < 1.26.9, 1.27.0-0 < 1.27.2 |
| Go standard library | internal/syscall/windows | < 1.26.9, 1.27.0-0 < 1.27.2 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADP | 3.1 | 9.8 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.49% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 41.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by Go
- — erroneo.us brief: Go October 2026 Security Releases: 16 Stdlib Fixes
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-56857 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-56857 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- go.dev go.dev
- go.dev go.dev
- groups.google.com groups.google.com
- pkg.go.dev pkg.go.dev