The PYTHON procedure fails to import pandas with "ImportError: libffi.so.6"


After you upgrade SAS® Viya® from a version earlier than 2025.11 to version 2025.11 or later, PROC PYTHON is unable to import pandas. As a result, the import fails with the following error:

ImportError: libffi.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

In 2025.11, Python Linux binaries must be compatible with Red Hat Universal Base Image 9 (UBI9). This requirement is documented in the 2025.11 Deployment Notes. If you do not update the Python binaries, the binaries' reference system libraries will no longer be available in the containers. 

Resolution