Description
A weakness has been identified in Open Babel up to 3.1.1. This affects the function GAMESSOutputFormat::ReadMolecule of the file gamessformat.cpp. This manipulation causes use after free. It is possible to launch the attack on the local host. The exploit has been made available to the public and could be exploited.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Open Babel | 3.1.0, 3.1.1 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 13 | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | openbabel | No fix yet | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | openbabel | 3.2.1-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:11259-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | openbabel | 3.2.0-bp160.1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:21190-1 |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | openbabel | < 3.2.0 | 3.2.0 | GHSA-pp85-5j63-xpq3 |
Advisories 2
- openSUSE-SU-2026:11259-1 libopenbabel8-3.2.1-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 13, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:21190-1 Security update for openbabel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 3, 2026
References
- VDB-325922 | Open Babel gamessformat.cpp ReadMolecule use after free vdb-entry technical-description
- VDB-325922 | CTI Indicators (IOB, IOC, IOA) signature permissions-required
- Submit #654057 | Open Babel 3.1.1 / master commit 889c350 Use After Free third-party-advisory
- https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel/issues/2834 issue-tracking
- https://github.com/user-attachments/files/22318611/poc.zip exploit