CVE-2022-37331: Open Babel out-of-bounds write in Gaussian orientation parser

CVE-2022-37331 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-07-01

Open Babel is a widely used chemistry software library for converting and reading molecular data files. A security flaw in its Gaussian file format parser allows a specially crafted file to cause a memory error. If a user or automated service opens a malicious file, an attacker could potentially execute unauthorized code or crash the application, impacting data integrity and system availability.

Technologies: openbabel (PyPI). Vendors: PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2022-37331 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2022-37331 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2022-37331?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 1 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
openbabel (PyPI) < 3.2.0, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=3.2.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-37331?
Yes. openbabel (PyPI): upgrade to 3.2.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2022-37331 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2022-37331?
Check whether you run openbabel (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • openbabel (PyPI): upgrade to 3.2.0 or later
    pip install "openbabel>=3.2.0"

Technical details

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787/CWE-119) exists in Open Babel's Gaussian format orientation functionality, specifically within the 'coords_type' orientation parser. The flaw is triggered when the parser encounters a malformed orientation block in a Gaussian output file, causing it to write data past the end of the allocated destination buffer. The attack vector is local, requiring a user to open a malicious file using the 'obabel' CLI tool, the 'OBConversion' API, or any of the supported language bindings (Python, Ruby, Java, etc.). Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution or a denial-of-service condition. The issue was addressed in version 3.2.0 by replacing fixed-size buffers with C++ strings to ensure safe memory handling.

Affected products

  • Open Babel Open Babel <= 3.1.1
  • pip openbabel < 3.2.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2022-37331
  • GHSA-vr3p-gg26-45v9
  • PYSEC-2026-2793

Timeline

  • 2022-07-21: disclosed: Initial report by Cisco Talos
  • 2026-05-26: patched: Version 3.2.0 released
  • 2026-07-01: advisory: GitHub Advisory published

References

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