VulnerabilityAnalyzed

CVE-2026-81681

A user who trusts the branding and places files in the workspace leaves them unencrypted on the removable media, so an attacker with physical access to the media can read the sensitive files.

CRITICAL 9.3EPSS 0.13%

Does this matter?

High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.13%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.

Description

openssl_encrypt (pip package openssl-encrypt) versions <= 1.4.8 advertise a portable USB workspace as an 'Encrypted USB Workspace' with AES-256-GCM encryption and write a marker declaring the workspace encrypted, but the workspace directory is actually stored in cleartext and the derived encryption key is never applied to it. A user who trusts the branding and places files in the workspace leaves them unencrypted on the removable media, so an attacker with physical access to the media can read the sensitive files. Fixed in 1.4.9, which seals the workspace into an authenticated AES-256-GCM vault.

CVSS 4.0: 9.3 CRITICALCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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/M
EPSS: 0.13% probability · 3th percentile
CISA KEV: Not listed
Weakness: CWE-311
Affected: jahlives/openssl encrypt
Source: disclosure@vulncheck.com

References

https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-2jv6-qqfm-m46mVendor Advisory
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-false-encryption-via-cleartext-storageThird Party Advisory

Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.