OpenTofu has High CPU usage in "tofu init" with maliciously-crafted module packages in .zip format
Low3.1CVE-2026-74797 · Published Jan 21, 2026 · updated Sep 10, 2026
Affected versions
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| github.com/opentofu/opentofu Go | < 1.11.4 | 1.11.4 |
Details and references
### Impact Unauthenticated denial of service. ### Summary When installing module packages from attacker-controlled sources, `tofu init` may cause high CPU usage when encountering maliciously-crafted `.zip` archives for either provider or module distribution packages. Those who depend on modules or providers served from untrusted third-party servers may experience denial of service due to `tofu init` failing to complete in a timely manner. Other processes running on the same computer as OpenTofu may also have their performance degraded due to the high CPU usage. These vulnerabilities **do not** permit arbitrary code execution or allow disclosure of confidential information. ### Details OpenTofu relies on a third-party implementation of `.zip` archive extraction from the standard library of the Go programming language. The Go project has recently published a minor release (Go 1.25.6) to address a problem of potential excessive CPU usage when accessing files in a maliciously-crafted `.zip` archive. OpenTofu's threat model considers module and package dependencies to be arbitrary third-party code that operators must carefully review after installation. However, this particular problem affects the process of installing these dependencies with `tofu init`, and so can potentially occur before an operator has had the opportunity to review what is being installed. An attacker can exploit this by controlling the content of a package served when OpenTofu is expecting to receive a archive using the `.zip` format, during either provider or module package installation. However, the attacker must also coerce an OpenTofu operator into attempting dependency installation from a source that they control. Typical use of OpenTofu already requires caution in selection of third-party dependencies because they are arbitrary code, and so the vulnerability here is only in the addition of a potential denial of service in the `tofu init` process, which does not execute third-party dependency code itself. ### Patches OpenTofu v1.11.4 addresses these vulnerabilities by being built against Go 1.25.6, which contains an improved version of the upstream implementation. ### Workarounds These vulnerabilities can be exploited only if an attacker can coerce an operator to add a dependency from an attacker-controlled source to their configuration before running `tofu init`. Those who are unable to immediately upgrade can therefore minimize risk by reviewing new dependencies before adding them to the configuration, such as by directly fetching the relevant artifacts using software other than OpenTofu. Successful exploitation requires that the attacker control a `.zip` archive that OpenTofu would fetch and extract during the provider or module installation processes. Note that OpenTofu modules can have their own dependencies on other providers and modules, so an attacker could potentially use a module served from a source such as GitHub or the OpenTofu Registry to indirectly request a provider or module package from a server that they control. ### References - [OpenTofu v1..11.4 release notes](https://github.com/opentofu/opentofu/releases/tag/v1.11.4) - [golang/go#77102](https://github.com/golang/go/issues/77102)
- CVSS 3.1
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
- Severity from
- GitHub (reviewed advisory)
- Weakness
- CWE-1395
- Also known as
- CVE-2026-74797, GO-2026-4352