Summary
The fix for GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq (CVE-2026-24051) changed the Darwin ioreg command to use an absolute path but left the BSD kenv command using a bare name, allowing the same PATH hijacking attack on BSD and Solaris platforms.
Root Cause
sdk/resource/host_id.go line 42:
if result, err := r.execCommand("kenv", "-q", "smbios.system.uuid"); err == nil {
Compare with the fixed Darwin path at line 58:
result, err := r.execCommand("/usr/sbin/ioreg", "-rd1", "-c", "IOPlatformExpertDevice")
The execCommand helper at sdk/resource/host_id_exec.go uses exec.Command(name, arg...) which searches $PATH when the command name contains no path separator.
Affected platforms (per build tag in host_id_bsd.go:4): DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris.
The kenv path is reached when /etc/hostid does not exist (line 38-40), which is common on FreeBSD systems.
Attack
- Attacker has local access to a system running a Go application that imports
go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk - Attacker places a malicious
kenvbinary earlier in$PATH - Application initializes OpenTelemetry resource detection at startup
hostIDReaderBSD.read()callsexec.Command("kenv", ...)which resolves to the malicious binary- Arbitrary code executes in the context of the application
Same attack vector and impact as CVE-2026-24051.
Impact
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Use the absolute path:
if result, err := r.execCommand("/bin/kenv", "-q", "smbios.system.uuid"); err == nil {
On FreeBSD, kenv is located at /bin/kenv.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-39883? CVE-2026-39883 is a high-severity security vulnerability in go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk (go), affecting versions >= 1.15.0, <= 1.42.0. It is fixed in 1.43.0.
- Which versions of go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk are affected by CVE-2026-39883? go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk (go) versions >= 1.15.0, <= 1.42.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-39883? Yes. CVE-2026-39883 is fixed in 1.43.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-39883 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-39883 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-39883 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-39883? Upgrade
go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdkto 1.43.0 or later.