HTSlib is a library for reading and writing bioinformatics file formats. CRAM is a compressed format which stores DNA sequence alignment data. As one method of removing redundant data, CRAM uses reference-based compression so that instead of storing the full sequence for each alignment record it stores a location in an external reference sequence along with a list of differences to the reference at that location as a sequence of "features". When decoding these features, an out-by-one error in a test for CRAM features that appear beyond the extent of the CRAM record sequence could result in an invalid write of one attacker-controlled byte beyond the end of a heap buffer. Exploiting this bug causes a heap buffer overflow. If a user opens a file crafted to exploit this issue, it could lead to the program crashing, or overwriting of data and heap structures in ways not expected by the program. It may be possible to use this to obtain arbitrary code execution. Versions 1.23.1, 1.22.2 and 1.21.1 include fixes for this issue. There is no workaround for this issue.
CVE-2026-31963
This high-severity CVE scores 8.1 under NVD CVSS v3. EPSS exploit probability: 0.3%, top 72% of all CVEs by exploit prediction. GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 8.1
- EG Score
- 8.1(medium)
- EG Risk
- 41(Track)EG Risk 41/100SSVC: Track
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity81% × 45%Exploitation0% × 40%Automatability30% × 15%Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence. - EPSS PROB
- 0%
- EPSS %ILE
- 28%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
March 18, 2026
Last Modified
June 17, 2026
Advisory Details (2)
Auto-updated Aug 2, 2026Heap buffer overflow in HTSlib CRAM reader due to improper validation of input · Advisory · samtools/htslib · GitHub
https://github.com/samtools/htslib/security/advisories/GHSA-qgqh-h2q9-7w3ccommit 8bcc9907be0f (samtools/htslib)
Patch available: samtools/htslib 1.23.1 (contains commit 8bcc9907be0f)
https://github.com/samtools/htslib/commit/8bcc9907be0f945ddc31796d64f078fa05456acdAffected Packages
(4 across 4 ecosystems)
Debian:11(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fixed in | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| htslib | 1.11-4 ... 1.22.1+ds2-1 (23 versions) | — | — |
Debian:12(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fixed in | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| htslib | 1.16+ds-3 ... 1.22.1+ds2-1 (17 versions) | — | — |
Debian:13(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fixed in | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| htslib | 1.21+ds-1, 1.22.1+ds-1, 1.22.1+ds-2, 1.22.1+ds2-1 | — | — |
Debian:14(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fixed in | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| htslib | 1.21+ds-1, 1.22.1+ds-1, 1.22.1+ds-2, 1.22.1+ds2-1 | — | — |
Weakness Classification(3)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 6× in last 7d / 30× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-09-18 19:28 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-18 19:27 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-17 19:30 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-16 14:08 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-16 05:15 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-13 16:47 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-12 15:01 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-11 14:52 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-10 09:34 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-08 22:00 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-07 16:01 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-06 13:47 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-06 13:47 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-04 05:06 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-02 18:08 UTCOSV refresh
- 2026-09-02 14:11 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-01 13:53 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-01 04:39 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-09-01 04:39 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-30 19:17 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-30 01:22 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-28 21:41 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-27 14:25 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-26 14:46 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-25 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
Show 40 moreShow fewer
- 2026-08-24 14:17 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-23 00:19 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-21 23:49 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-20 22:55 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-20 22:55 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-19 17:03 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-18 13:48 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-17 13:47 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-16 14:56 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-16 11:15 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-16 02:14 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-15 01:30 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-14 07:23 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-13 22:00 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-12 22:10 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-12 13:50 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-11 21:30 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-11 04:35 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-11 00:00 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-09 18:28 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-09 13:46 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-09 06:58 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-08 16:37 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-07 17:30 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-06 19:29 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-06 13:46 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-06 01:37 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-05 19:17 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-04 15:10 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-04 10:38 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-04 00:47 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-03 10:36 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-02 16:40 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-02 02:27 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-08-01 04:16 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-30 16:28 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-30 01:30 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-28 15:36 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-27 14:41 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-07-27 14:27 UTCOSV refresh
Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2026-31963?
When was CVE-2026-31963 disclosed?
Is CVE-2026-31963 actively exploited?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-31963?
How do I remediate CVE-2026-31963?
Dependency Blast Radius
See which npm, PyPI, Go, and Maven packages are affected by CVE-2026-31963
Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2026-31963?
EchelonGraph automatically scans your cloud infrastructure and maps CVE exposure using blast radius analysis.