Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-7WP9-WPJ9-M7PM

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-08-27 18:32 – Updated: 2026-08-27 18:32

Details

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.

Severity

5.5 (Medium)


                  
                    CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

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

Show details on source website

JSON

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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-81697"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-426"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-08-27T17:20:59Z",
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "openssl_encrypt (pip package openssl-encrypt) versions \u003c= 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 \u0027crypt_settings.json\u0027. As a result, the legacy Tk GUI\u0027s SettingsTab reads and writes KDF settings from crypt_settings.json in the process launch (current working) directory instead of the user\u0027s 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.",
  "id": "GHSA-7wp9-wpj9-m7pm",
  "modified": "2026-08-27T18:32:28Z",
  "published": "2026-08-27T18:32:28Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81697"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-kdf-downgrade-via-cwd-relative-configuration"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    },
    {
      "score": "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",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ]
}

CVE-2026-81697 (GCVE-0-2026-81697)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-27 14:51 – Updated: 2026-08-31 15:58

Title

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration

Summary

Severity

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

5.5 (Medium)


                        
                          CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

SSVC

Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial

CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)

Decision recorded 2026-08-31 15:58 UTC

CWE

CWE-426 - Untrusted Search Path

Assigner

VulnCheck mitre root

References

2 references

URL	Tags
https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/secur…	vendor-advisory
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encr…	third-party-advisory

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
jahlives	openssl_encrypt	Affected: 0 , < 1.4.9 (semver) Unaffected: 1.4.9 (semver)

Date Public

2026-08-12 00:00

Show details on NVD website

JSON

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{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-81697",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-08-31T15:58:13.124641Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-08-31T15:58:24.498Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
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          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/openssl-encrypt",
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            {
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              "version": "0",
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            {
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              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "datePublic": "2026-08-12T00:00:00.000Z",
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "openssl_encrypt (pip package openssl-encrypt) versions \u003c= 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 \u0027crypt_settings.json\u0027. As a result, the legacy Tk GUI\u0027s SettingsTab reads and writes KDF settings from crypt_settings.json in the process launch (current working) directory instead of the user\u0027s 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."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV4_0": {
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            "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
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            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
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            "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
            "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
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            "version": "4.0",
            "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
            "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
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            "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
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            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N",
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      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v)",
          "tags": [
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          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v"
        },
        {
          "name": "VulnCheck Advisory: openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration",
          "tags": [
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    "datePublished": "2026-08-27T14:51:00.542Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-08-27T11:12:00.890Z",
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    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.