# CVE-2026-2704: Open Babel out-of-bounds read in CIF File Handler

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-2704-open-babel-out-of-bounds-read-in-cif-file-handler  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-02-19. Updated: 2026-06-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-2704 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.4 · Published 2026-02-19

Open Babel, a widely used library for processing chemical data, contains a flaw in how it reads certain chemistry file formats (CIF). An attacker could create a specially crafted file that, when opened by a user or processed by a service, causes the application to crash or potentially leak small amounts of memory. This could disrupt scientific workflows or affect services that automatically process chemical data uploaded by users.

Technologies: [Openbabel Open Babel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/open-babel), [openbabel (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/openbabel). Vendors: [Openbabel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/openbabel), [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-2704 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-2704 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-2704?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.4, published 19 February 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-2026-2704?** 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-2026-2704 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-2704?** Check whether you run Openbabel Open Babel or 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

  ```sh
  pip install "openbabel>=3.2.0"
  ```


## Technical details

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in Open Babel's CIF file format parser within the 'OpenBabel::transform3d::DescribeAsString' function. The root cause is a failure to properly validate the length of symmetry-operation strings, leading the parser to read past the end of an internal buffer during description formatting. An attacker can exploit this by providing a malformed CIF file to the 'obabel' CLI tool, the OBConversion API, or associated language bindings. Successful exploitation requires user interaction (opening the file) and can result in a denial-of-service (crash) or limited information disclosure. The issue is addressed in version 3.2.0.

## Affected products

- Open Babel openbabel <= 3.1.1

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-2704
- GHSA-6xw4-2g22-26h8
- PYSEC-2026-2774

## Timeline

- 2026-05-26: patched: Version 3.2.0 released
- 2026-06-30: disclosed: GitHub Advisory published

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane](https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane)
- [https://github.com/VedantMadane](https://github.com/VedantMadane)
- [https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane/repos](https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/6527493?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/6527493?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/VedantMadane/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [Open Babel out-of-bounds write in MOPAC output parser](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-46292-open-babel-out-of-bounds-write-in-mopac-output-parser)
- [Open Babel out-of-bounds write in MSI parser translationVectors](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-46295-open-babel-out-of-bounds-write-in-msi-parser-translationvectors)
- [Open Babel out-of-bounds write in MOPAC input parser](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-46294-open-babel-out-of-bounds-write-in-mopac-input-parser)
- [Open Babel out-of-bounds write in MOPAC output parser](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-46293-open-babel-out-of-bounds-write-in-mopac-output-parser)
- [Open Babel out-of-bounds write in Gaussian translationVectors](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-46291-open-babel-out-of-bounds-write-in-gaussian-translationvectors)