CVE-2026-81719
openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 executes untrusted third-party plugins with insufficient controls: the plugin signature policy defaulted to WARN, so an unsigned/unverifiable non-built-in plugin was compiled and executed in the host process at import time,…
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.30%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 executes untrusted third-party plugins with insufficient controls: the plugin signature policy defaulted to WARN, so an unsigned/unverifiable non-built-in plugin was compiled and executed in the host process at import time, before the runtime sandbox is installed. The only default gate was an incomplete, bypassable AST denylist. If a user is induced to load an attacker's plugin, this results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running openssl_encrypt. Fixed in 1.4.9 by defaulting the signature policy to ENFORCE for non-built-in plugins.
- 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
- 0.30% probability · 23th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-94
- Affected
- jahlives/openssl encrypt
- Source
- disclosure@vulncheck.com
References
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.