GHSA-jg3h-pv7c-4f9c
Open Babel has out-of-bounds write in Gaussian translationVectors[]
Details
### Summary
A memory-safety vulnerability in Open Babel's Gaussian output parser allowed an out-of-bounds write into the `translationVectors[]` array when reading a crafted input file.
### Details
The Gaussian reader stored periodic-cell translation vectors into a fixed-size `translationVectors[]` array. A malformed input could push more vectors than the array had slots, causing a write past the end of the array. This is one of five `translationVectors[]` OOB writes across formats (Gaussian, MOPAC, MOPAC IN, MSI) reported in the TALOS 2022 batch.
### Impact
Open Babel is a C++ library and CLI used to read and write chemistry file formats; it is shipped by Linux distributions and embedded in services that may parse untrusted input. Triggering this vulnerability requires the victim to open a malicious Gaussian output file with the `obabel` tool, the `OBConversion` API, or any of the language bindings (Python, Ruby, Java, R, Perl, C#, PHP).
### Affected versions
All releases up to and including 3.1.1.
### Patched version
3.2.0 (released 2026-05-26).
### Patch
Fix commit: https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel/commit/40e85213
A minimized reproducer for this CVE is checked in under `test/files/fuzz_regress/` and is exercised on every CI build under ASAN+UBSAN by the `fuzzregresstest` harness.
### Credit
Reported by Cisco TALOS.
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Affected packages
References
- https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel/security/advisories/GHSA-jg3h-pv7c-4f9c [WEB]
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-46291 [ADVISORY]
- https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel/commit/40e852138f21d586b7ccdce6329e7b23a87168bb [WEB]
- https://github.com/openbabel/openbabel [PACKAGE]
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2022-1666 [WEB]
- https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2022-1666 [WEB]