openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration

published 2026-08-27 2 mo ago modified 2026-10-01 39 d ago also EUVD-2026-67053

cvss: 5.5; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.2%; EPSS 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 10%
public exploits: 0; none known

openssl_encrypt (pip package openssl-encrypt) versions <= 1.4.8 contain a CWD-relative configuration file resolution flaw in crypt_settings.py, where CONFIG_FILE (originally the absolute per-user path ~/.crypt_settings.json) is reassigned at line 84 to the bare relative name 'crypt_settings.json'. As a result, the legacy Tk GUI's SettingsTab reads and writes KDF settings from crypt_settings.json in the process launch (current working) directory instead of the user's home directory. An attacker who plants a malicious crypt_settings.json (e.g. sha256:1 with all memory-hard KDFs disabled) can silently downgrade encryption performed in that GUI session to roughly one hash round, bypassing the weak-KDF preflight and enabling offline brute-force attacks against the resulting ciphertext. Fixed in 1.4.9.

Patch / fix

fixed in 1

jahlives openssl_encrypt 1.4.9

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical impact: partial
Assessed: 2 mo ago (2026-08-31)

Exploit prediction

0.21% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 10% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CNA	4.0	8.7	CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA	3.1	5.5	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CNA	4.0	8.7	CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

Affected products

jahlives openssl_encrypt

Classification

Weakness

CWE-426 Untrusted Search Path

References

github.com /jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v
vendor-advisory
vulncheck.com /advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-kdf-downgrade-via-cwd-relative-configuration
third-party-advisory

Sources

CVE List CVE-2026-81697
NVD CVE-2026-81697

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

CPEs and fixed versions use Anchore's correction of NVD's data: Added CPE configurations because not yet analyzed by NVD.

Summary