Description
A flaw has been found in Open Babel up to 3.1.1. Impacted is the function ChemKinFormat::CheckSpecies of the file /src/formats/chemkinformat.cpp. Executing manipulation can lead to heap-based buffer overflow. The attack can only be executed locally. The exploit has been published and may be used.
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 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-8wq6-qh76-wpv9 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2026:21190-1 Security update for openbabel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 3, 2026
References
- VDB-325925 | Open Babel chemkinformat.cpp CheckSpecies heap-based overflow vdb-entry technical-description
- VDB-325925 | CTI Indicators (IOB, IOC, IOA) signature permissions-required
- Submit #654062 | Open Babel 3.1.1 / master commit 889c350 Heap-based Buffer Overflow third-party-advisory
- https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel/issues/2830 issue-tracking
- https://github.com/user-attachments/files/22318543/poc.zip exploit