CVE-2025-10997: Open Babel · Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Affects Open BabelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.8 Medium.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 20% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
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:PExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 26 Sep 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Open Babel | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
1. Restrict local access: Limit user permissions and access to systems running Open Babel to trusted personnel only. 2. Monitor and audit local user activities on systems processing chemical data to detect suspicious behavior. 3. Apply principle of least privilege to users and processes interacting with Open Babel to minimize potential exploitation impact. 4. Segregate environments: Use isolated or containerized environments for chemical data processing to contain potential exploitation effects. 5. Keep Open Babel updated: Monitor for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-10997 and apply them promptly once available. 6. Employ application whitelisting and runtime protections to prevent unauthorized code execution. 7. Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews for custom integrations involving Open Babel to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. 8. Educate users about the risks of executing untrusted code or data locally, especially in research or shared computing environments.
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.