ci: scan and release on Go 1.26, the oldest release still patched

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -18,15 +18,20 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
-      # 1.25.x, not go-version-file: go.mod. setup-go reads the go directive as
-      # an exact patch, which would pin every released binary to the stdlib as
-      # it shipped in that patch, CVEs included. This tracks the newest patch of
-      # the minor version go.mod declares, which is what a shipped binary needs;
-      # go.mod stays the language-version contract.
+      # 1.26.x here and in the release job, while build and test stay on the
+      # 1.25.x go.mod declares. setup-go reads the go directive as an exact
+      # patch, which would pin every released binary to the stdlib as it
+      # shipped in that patch, CVEs included, so the jobs name a minor version
+      # and take its newest patch -- check-latest, or setup-go settles for the
+      # newest one the runner caches. The scan goes one minor further because
+      # 1.25 left support when 1.27 shipped: its stdlib advisories are fixed in
+      # 1.26 and later only. go.mod stays the language-version contract, and
+      # the build and test jobs keep proving that floor.
       - name: Set up Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v6
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25.x"
+          go-version: "1.26.x"
+          check-latest: true
           cache-dependency-path: go.sum
 
       - name: golangci-lint

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -17,15 +17,19 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      # 1.25.x, not go-version-file: go.mod. setup-go reads the go directive as
-      # an exact patch, which would pin every released binary to the stdlib as
-      # it shipped in that patch, CVEs included. This tracks the newest patch of
-      # the minor version go.mod declares, which is what a shipped binary needs;
-      # go.mod stays the language-version contract.
+      # 1.26.x, the oldest Go still patched: a released binary carries the
+      # stdlib it was built with, and 1.25 left support when 1.27 shipped, so
+      # its advisories are fixed in 1.26 and later only. setup-go reads the go
+      # directive as an exact patch, which would pin every released binary to
+      # the stdlib as it shipped in that patch, CVEs included, so this names a
+      # minor version and takes its newest patch -- check-latest, or setup-go
+      # settles for the newest one the runner caches. go.mod stays the
+      # language-version contract.
       - name: Set up Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v6
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25.x"
+          go-version: "1.26.x"
+          check-latest: true
           cache-dependency-path: go.sum
 
       - name: Run GoReleaser