CVE-2026-31970

htslib: HTSlib is a library for reading and writing bioinformatics file formats

CVE-2026-31970 is fixed in htslib on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31970 (version 1.24-2), released March 18, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

High
CVSS
8.1
high
Exploitation
None reported
No vendor assessment
CISA KEV
Not listed
Not in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
EPSS
0.0048
41st percentile

HTSlib is a library for reading and writing bioinformatics file formats. GZI files are used to index block-compressed GZIP [BGZF] files. In the GZI loading function, `bgzf_index_load_hfile()`, it was possible to trigger an integer overflow, leading to an under- or zero-sized buffer being allocated to store the index. Sixteen zero bytes would then be written to this buffer, and, depending on the result of the overflow the rest of the file may also be loaded into the buffer as well. If the function did attempt to load the data, it would eventually fail due to not reading the expected number of records, and then try to free the overflowed 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. The easiest work-around is to discard any `.gzi` index files from untrusted sources, and use the `bgzip -r` option to recreate them.

Where it's fixed

ProductFixed inFixReleased
Linux
htslib · Debian 14 1.24-2 DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31970 Mar 18, 2026

Patch Radar data is free to use with attribution. Terms and how to credit it.

Product names, logos and trademarks shown on Patch Radar belong to their respective owners. They are used only to identify the software each security fix applies to and to help readers find their platform. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement by, those owners, and Patchblox is not affiliated with any of them.