CVE-2026-97033: Unexpected code execution via --sysroot, -target, -isysroot, -Wl,-syslibroot, and -x cgo flags in cmd/go

1. In CISA KEV: not seen
2. Exploited (reported): not seen
3. Scanning observed: not seen
4. Proof of concept public: not seen
5. Not establishedNothing in the sources we check

DescriptionNVD

Building a malicious package that uses cgo could cause arbitrary code execution at build time through several compiler and linker flags permitted in "#cgo" directives. Specifically, "--sysroot" in GCC and Clang relocates compiler subprograms, spec files, and CRT startup objects to an attacker-controlled directory; "-target" in Clang falls back to executing target helper tools from the current working directory when not found in PATH; "-isysroot" and "-Wl,-syslibroot" can pass a regular file on disk to GNU ld.bfd, which interprets it as a positional linker script; and "-x" permitted specifying arbitrary compiler input languages beyond those supported by cgo. "--sysroot" and "-target" are now disallowed in "#cgo" flags, "-isysroot" and "-Wl,-syslibroot" are verified not to point to regular files, and "-x" is restricted to the C, C++, Objective-C, and assembler languages supported by cgo.

• NVD entrynvd.nist.gov
• Vendor advisorygo.dev
• CVE recordcve.org