# CVE-2026-96273: National Security Agency Ghidra improper input validation in OptionsDB

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-96273-ghidra-before-12-1-4-fails-to-validate-the-type-col-byte-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-23. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-96273 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-09-23

Ghidra is a reverse-engineering framework used by security analysts to examine and understand software. A vulnerability in how Ghidra processes database files allows an attacker to craft a malicious program database that, when opened, crashes the application and permanently locks files, preventing the analyst from working with those files until the application is forcibly restarted.

Technologies: [National Security Agency Ghidra](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/ghidra). Vendors: [National Security Agency](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/national-security-agency).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-96273 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-96273 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-96273?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 23 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** National Security Agency Ghidra before 12.1.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-96273?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-96273 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-96273?** Check whether you run National Security Agency Ghidra at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The OptionsDB.createUnregisteredOption() method fails to validate the TYPE_COL byte, allowing an array index out of bounds exception when processing a malicious database file. The exception leaves domain objects in a locked state, stalling the application and preventing graceful resource cleanup. This is triggered via a maliciously crafted program database file opened through the normal import mechanism.

## Affected products

- National Security Agency Ghidra before 12.1.4

## Timeline

- 2026-09-23: disclosed

## References

- [https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra)
- [https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/Ghidra_12.1.3_build/Ghidra/Framework/Project/src/main/java/ghidra/framework/data/OptionsDB.java](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/Ghidra_12.1.3_build/Ghidra/Framework/Project/src/main/java/ghidra/framework/data/OptionsDB.java)

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