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CVE-2026-81705

openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 Password Cleartext Leak via Debug

Published: Aug 27, 2026Updated: Sep 1, 2026 Sources: CVE List NVDCWE-532
7.5HIGH
NVD MITRE
EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 75.8%
CISA KEV
Not in KEV
Exploits
No Known Exploits
Remediation
Patch Available
Self-Check
Not available

Description

openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to redact the file password in its --debug argv dump when the password is supplied via bundled short-option spellings (e.g. -apHunter2) or abbreviated long-option spellings (e.g. --passw). The sanitizer only recognized exact option names, --option=value forms, and tokens starting with -p, so these spellings bypass the redaction chokepoint and the cleartext password is written to stderr. Anyone with access to that output (terminal scrollback, merged 2>&1 output, CI job logs, or the GUI's persistent debug log) can recover the password.

No summary for this CVE yet.

CVSS Vector Breakdown

AV:NAC:LPR:NUI:NS:UC:HI:NA:N
Exploitability
AV:NAttack Vector
Network
AC:LAttack Complexity
Low
PR:NPrivileges Required
None
UI:NUser Interaction
None
Scope
S:UScope
Unchanged
Impact
C:HConfidentiality
High
I:NIntegrity
None
A:NAvailability
None
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Weaknesses

CWE-532

Affected Products

jahlives
openssl_encrypt
openssl encrypt

Exploitability

Official Patch Available
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Attack Graph

Products CVE Techniques Tactics

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MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique
Credential Access
View detailed technique mapping

References

https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-jgvm-7jxv-cgcc
github.com
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-password-cleartext-leak-via-debug
vulncheck.com

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