Metadata

ID: go-security/command-injection

Language: Go

Severity: Warning

Category: Security

CWE: 78

Description

In Go, the exec.Command function is used to run external commands. Using this function carelessly can lead to command injection vulnerabilities. Carefully review the data flow that leads to a command execution and ensures no data can be injected by a third-party.

Command injection occurs when untrusted input is passed directly to a system shell, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary commands. This can result in unauthorized access to the system, data leaks, or other security breaches.

Avoid executing commands constructed using user-provided data, or if you must, always validate and sanitize user inputs before passing them to exec.Command.

How to remediate?

Either remove the user-controlled data, filter the potential command with a list of allowed command or sanitize the command before execution.

Non-Compliant Code Examples

import (
	"context"
	"os"
	"os/exec"
)

func main() {
	directory := os.Args[1]
	ctx := context.Background()
	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "/bin/ls", directory)
	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
}

import (
	"os"
	"os/exec"
)

func main() {
	directory1 := os.Args[1]
	directory2 := os.Args[2]
	cmd := exec.Command("/bin/ls", directory1, directory2)
	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
}

Compliant Code Examples

import (
    "os/exec"
)

func main () {
    res, err := exec.Command("/bin/ls", "something")
}

import (
    "context"
    "os/exec"
)

func main () {
    ctx := context.Background()
    res, err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "/bin/ls")
}

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