CVE-2026-24516: Input Validation

Published Mar 23, 2026
·
Updated

A command injection vulnerability exists in DigitalOcean Droplet Agent through 1.3.2. The troubleshooting actioner component (internal/troubleshooting/actioner/actioner.go) processes metadata from the metadata service endpoint and executes commands specified in the TroubleshootingAgent.Requesting array without adequate input validation. While the code validates that artifacts exist in the validInvestigationArtifacts map, it fails to sanitize the actual command content after the "command:" prefix. This allows an attacker who can control metadata responses to inject and execute arbitrary OS commands with root privileges. The attack is triggered by sending a TCP packet with specific sequence numbers to the SSH port, which causes the agent to fetch metadata from http://169.254.169.254/metadata/v1.json. The vulnerability affects the command execution flow in internal/troubleshooting/actioner/actioner.go (insufficient validation), internal/troubleshooting/command/exec.go (direct exec.CommandContext call), and internal/troubleshooting/command/command.go (command parsing without sanitization). This can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement across cloud infrastructure.

Affected Software

1 affected component
digitalocean Droplet Agent<=1.3.2

Event History

Mar 23, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:16 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-24516?

CVE-2026-24516 has been classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential for command injection.

2

How does CVE-2026-24516 exploit occur?

CVE-2026-24516 occurs when the DigitalOcean Droplet Agent processes untrusted metadata and executes commands without proper validation.

3

Which versions of DigitalOcean Droplet Agent are affected by CVE-2026-24516?

CVE-2026-24516 affects DigitalOcean Droplet Agent version 1.3.2 and earlier.

4

How do I fix CVE-2026-24516?

To fix CVE-2026-24516, update the DigitalOcean Droplet Agent to the latest version that addresses this vulnerability.

5

What are the consequences of CVE-2026-24516 if exploited?

If CVE-2026-24516 is exploited, an attacker may execute arbitrary commands on the affected system, leading to compromise.

Contact

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