VulnerabilityAnalyzed

CVE-2026-81721

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to validate KDF cost parameters in encrypted file metadata and keystore headers, allowing attackers to trigger unbounded memory allocation.

HIGH 8.7EPSS 0.39%

Does this matter?

High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.39%). 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 fails to validate KDF cost parameters in encrypted file metadata and keystore headers, allowing attackers to trigger unbounded memory allocation. Attackers can craft malicious encrypted files declaring arbitrarily large Argon2, scrypt, or balloon KDF parameters to exhaust system memory and crash the process without authentication.

CVSS 4.0: 8.7 HIGHCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/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: 0.39% probability · 33th percentile
CISA KEV: Not listed
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected: jahlives/openssl encrypt
Source: disclosure@vulncheck.com

References

https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7894-5gw8-69hrVendor Advisory
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-denial-of-service-via-kdf-2Third Party Advisory

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