CVE-2026-81697
openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 8.7 High
- Published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 1, 2026
- Reserved
- Aug 27, 2026
Description
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.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 8.7 High | 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 | VulnCheck |
| 3.1 | 5.5 Medium | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N | VulnCheck |
Weaknesses
- CWE-426 Untrusted Search Path
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
openssl_encryptjahlives |
|
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v)vendor-advisory
- VulnCheck Advisory: openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configurationthird-party-advisory
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