Security Digest · Vulnerability record

CVE-2026-97031: Reject malformed ECH outer extension references in crypto/tls

Multiple ECH outer extension references are not permitted under RFC 9849; previously, a client could send a well-crafted packet that could trigger memory exhaustion in the server process by specifying multiple references.

CVSS 7.5 High EPSS 0.4% · p32 Patch this week

Should you act?

Normal patch cycle

No exploitation signal; fix it in your next routine update if you are affected. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

  • No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
  • EPSS 0.4%, percentile 32: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 32% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
  • Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
  • Editorial verdict: Patch this week. Go October 2026 Security Releases: 16 Stdlib Fixes — Rebuild and redeploy Go services with Go 1.27.3 or 1.26.10 this week, starting with internet-facing HTTP/2 servers and reverse proxies; none of these bugs is known to be exploited.

What it is

Multiple ECH outer extension references are not permitted under RFC 9849; previously, a client could send a well-crafted packet that could trigger memory exhaustion in the server process by specifying multiple references. We now reject these as malformed and curb the memory amplification vector as a result.

Weakness type: CWE-405.

Product: Go standard library crypto/tls · Assigned by: Go · Published: 2026-10-08

Affected and fixed versions

VendorProductAffected versions (per CVE record)
Go standard librarycrypto/tls< 1.26.9, 1.27.0-0 < 1.27.2

Severity scores

Scored byCVSSScoreVector
CISA-ADP3.17.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
  • Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
  • Attack complexity: low
  • Privileges required: none (no login)
  • User interaction: none
  • Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

  • CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
  • CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact partial.
  • FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.39% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 32.

Timeline

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

  1. CVE.org record CVE-2026-97031 cve.org
  2. NVD entry CVE-2026-97031 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

  1. go.dev go.dev
  2. go.dev go.dev
  3. groups.google.com groups.google.com
  4. pkg.go.dev pkg.go.dev

Today’s Security Digest