CVE-2025-10996Public exploit

Memory corruption via malformed SMILES parsing

Published Sep 26, 2025 · Updated Sep 26, 2025

Heap buffer overflow in Open Babel 3.1.1 and earlier allows context-dependent attackers to corrupt memory via a crafted SMILES string. OBSmilesParser::ParseSmiles fails to reject malformed input when the per-atom _hcount vector has fewer entries than the molecule has atoms, then accesses that vector out of bounds. Triggering the flaw requires a victim to process the string with obabel, OBConversion, or a language binding; the published reproducer demonstrates a local crash, while the advisory assigns high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap buffer overflow in Open Babel 3.1.1 and earlier allows context-dependent attackers to corrupt memory via a crafted SMILES string. OBSmilesParser::ParseSmiles fails to reject malformed input when the per-atom _hcount vector has fewer entries than the molecule has atoms, then accesses that vector out of bounds. Triggering the flaw requires a victim to process the string with obabel, OBConversion, or a language binding; the published reproducer demonstrates a local crash, while the advisory assigns high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-10996
Published
Sep 26, 2025
Updated
Sep 26, 2025
Vendor
Open Babel
Product
Open Babel
Classifications
CWE-122, CWE-119, T1203
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 26, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.1.0
  2. Affected versionversion=3.1.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Open Babel · Open Babelversion=3.1.0; version=3.1.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
1.9VulDBCVSS: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
7.8GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-122Heap-based Buffer Overflow
CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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