CVE-2026-31969

HTSlib is a library for reading and writing bioinformatics file formats.

Verified by Precogs Threat Research
Last Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Base Score
8.1HIGH

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-31969 is a high severity vulnerability affecting binary-analysis, ai-code. It is classified as Heap-based Buffer Overflow. Ensure your systems and dependencies are patched immediately to mitigate exposure risks.

Precogs AI Insight

"This security defect is primarily driven by within HTSlib, allowing an architectural oversight in input validation. Exploitation typically involves an attacker attempting to trigger a denial of service state, crashing critical operational components. Precogs identifies insecure dynamic linking patterns without requiring source code access to ensure strict authentication requirements are met."

Exploit Probability (EPSS)
Low (0.1%)
Public POC
Undisclosed
Exploit Probability
Elevated (52%)
Public POC
Available
Affected Assets
binary analysisai codeCWE-122

What is this vulnerability?

CVE-2026-31969 is categorized as a critical Memory Corruption Vulnerability flaw. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.

HTSlib is a library for reading and writing bioinformatics file formats. CRAM is a compressed format which stores DNA sequence alignment data using a varie...

This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.

Risk Assessment

MetricValue
CVSS Base Score8.1 (HIGH)
Vector StringCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
PublishedMarch 18, 2026
Last ModifiedMarch 19, 2026
Related CWEsCWE-122, CWE-787

Impact on Systems

Remote Code Execution: Adversaries may execute arbitrary code by overwriting memory regions.

Denial of Service: Memory corruption often leads to unrecoverable application crashes.

Information Disclosure: Out-of-bounds reads can expose adjacent memory containing sensitive data.

How to fix this issue?

Implement the following strategic mitigations immediately to eliminate the attack surface.

1. Memory-Safe Languages When possible, migrate parsing logic to memory-safe languages like Rust or Go.

2. Compiler Protections Ensure the binary is compiled with ASLR, DEP/NX, Stack Canaries, and RELRO.

3. Fuzz Testing Implement continuous fuzzing with AddressSanitizer (ASan) in the CI/CD pipeline.

Vulnerability Signature

// Generic Memory Corruption Vector (C/C++)
void process_input(char *user_data, size_t size) \{
    char buffer[256];
    // DANGEROUS: Unbounded memory operation
    memcpy(buffer, user_data, size); // size may exceed 256
    
    // SECURED: Bound-checked operation
    if (size \> sizeof(buffer)) \{
        size = sizeof(buffer);
    \}
    memcpy(buffer, user_data, size);
\}

References and Sources

Vulnerability Code Signature

Attack Data Flow

StageDetail
SourceNetwork packet or file input
VectorData exceeds the allocated buffer bounds during a copy operation on the heap
Sinkstrcpy(), memcpy(), or pointer arithmetic
ImpactMemory corruption, Remote Code Execution (RCE)

Vulnerable Code Pattern

// ❌ VULNERABLE: Heap-based Buffer Overflow
void process_data(char *input) {
    char *buffer = malloc(64);
    // Taint sink: copies without bounds checking
    strcpy(buffer, input);
}

Secure Code Pattern

// ✅ SECURE: Bounded copy
void process_data(char *input) {
    char *buffer = malloc(64);
    if (buffer != NULL) {
        // Sanitized boundary check
        strncpy(buffer, input, 63);
        buffer[63] = '\0';
    }
}

How Precogs Detects This

Precogs Binary SAST engine explicitly uncovers memory boundary violations and unsafe memory management functions in compiled binaries.\n

Related Vulnerabilitiesvia CWE-122

Is your system affected?

Precogs AI detects CVE-2026-31969 in compiled binaries, LLMs, and application layers — even without source code access.