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CVE-2026-81699· NVD / CVE Program· CNA VulnCheck

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Denial of Service via unbounded KDF cost

openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.9 fail to properly validate key derivation function costs in crafted files, allowing attackers to trigger unbounded memory and CPU exhaustion during pre-authentication processing. Attackers can supply malicious files with excessive KDF parameters to exhaust system resources and crash or wedge the process before password verification occurs.

HighCVSS 8.7 · v4.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 27, 2026
Updated
Oct 1, 2026
EPSS
0.5% · 41th percentile
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Action score

34

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
34 / 40 · 8.7 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.5%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · VulnCheck
8.7
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

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

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

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Affected systems

VendorProduct
jahlivesopenssl encrypt

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • jahlives openssl encryptbefore 1.4.9

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulnCheck). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • jahlives openssl_encrypt

    • 1.4.9not affected
    • before 1.4.9affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
PyPIopenssl-encryptbefore 1.4.91.4.9

Same product

jahlives: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-81719openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Remote Code Execution via Plugin
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-81717openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Integrity Bypass via Added Files
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-81714openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Plugin Signing Trust Anchor Enrollment Bypass
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-81706openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Key Substitution via Identity Shadowing
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-81702openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Key Substitution via Identity Load
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-81701openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Arbitrary Code Execution via unsigned plugin
    37Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
jahlives openssl_encrypt1.4.9Vendor (CNA)
PyPI:openssl-encrypt1.4.9Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-7487810 days apartopenssl_encrypt before 1.4.0 TOTP Rate Limiter Bypass
    37Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
X

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-770 · Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records