{"id":"CVE-2026-81697","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration","description":"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.","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T14:51:00.542Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-01T15:21:27.878Z","severity":{"score":8.7,"label":"High","version":"4.0","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","source":"VulnCheck"},"assigner":"VulnCheck","products":["jahlives openssl_encrypt"],"affected":[{"vendor":"jahlives","product":"openssl_encrypt","packageURL":"pkg:pypi/openssl-encrypt","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"0","status":"affected","lessThan":"1.4.9","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"1.4.9","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"}]}],"references":["https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v","https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-kdf-downgrade-via-cwd-relative-configuration"],"weaknesses":["CWE-426"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:13:15.269Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/81xxx/CVE-2026-81697.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-81697","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-08-27T14:51:00.542Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-01T15:21:27.878Z","assignerShortName":"VulnCheck","assignerOrgId":"83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10","dateReserved":"2026-08-27T11:12:00.890Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"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."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"jahlives","product":"openssl_encrypt","packageURL":"pkg:pypi/openssl-encrypt","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"0","status":"affected","lessThan":"1.4.9","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"1.4.9","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v","tags":["vendor-advisory"],"name":"GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v)"},{"url":"https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-kdf-downgrade-via-cwd-relative-configuration","name":"VulnCheck Advisory: openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration","tags":["third-party-advisory"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV4_0":{"Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","attackVector":"NETWORK","baseScore":8.7,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","exploitMaturity":"NOT_DEFINED","privilegesRequired":"NONE","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vectorString":"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","version":"4.0","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"HIGH","vulnIntegrityImpact":"NONE","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED"},"format":"CVSS"},{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"LOCAL","availabilityImpact":"NONE","baseScore":5.5,"baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","confidentialityImpact":"NONE","integrityImpact":"HIGH","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","version":"3.1"},"format":"CVSS"}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-426","lang":"en","description":"Untrusted Search Path","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"VulnCheck","orgId":"83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10","dateUpdated":"2026-10-01T15:21:27.878Z"},"datePublic":"2026-08-12T00:00:00.000Z","cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:a:jahlives:openssl_encrypt:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"1.4.9"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"vulncheck-endgame"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-08-31T15:58:13.124641Z","id":"CVE-2026-81697","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"partial"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-08-31T15:58:24.498Z"}}]}}}