CVE-2022-46293: Open Babel out-of-bounds write in MOPAC output parser

CVE-2022-46293 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-07-01

Open Babel is a widely used software library for converting and processing chemistry data files. A security flaw in its MOPAC file parser allows a specially crafted chemistry file to crash the application or potentially execute unauthorized code. This risk is present when a user opens a malicious file using the Open Babel command-line tool or any application that integrates the library.

Technologies: openbabel (PyPI). Vendors: PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2022-46293 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2022-46293 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2022-46293?
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-2022-46293?
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-2022-46293 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2022-46293?
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 exists in Open Babel versions up to 3.1.1 within the MOPAC output format parser. The root cause is a failure to validate the number of translation vectors before writing them into a fixed-size 'translationVectors[]' array (typically 3 elements). An attacker can exploit this by providing a malformed MOPAC file containing more vectors than the array can accommodate, leading to memory corruption. While the primary attack vector is local (requiring a user to open a file), the vulnerability can lead to arbitrary code execution or a denial-of-service. The issue was addressed in version 3.2.0 by adding bounds checking to ensure the number of vectors does not exceed the array capacity.

Affected products

  • Open Babel Open Babel <= 3.1.1

Identifiers

  • CVE-2022-46293
  • GHSA-7h6r-6p76-68c9
  • PYSEC-2026-2775

Timeline

  • 2023-07-21: disclosed: NVD Published Date
  • 2026-05-26: patched: Version 3.2.0 released
  • 2026-07-01: advisory: GitHub Advisory published

References

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