{
  "affected": [
    {
      "ranges": [
        {
          "database_specific": {
            "extracted_events": [
              {
                "introduced": "0"
              },
              {
                "fixed": "1.4.9"
              }
            ],
            "source": "AFFECTED_FIELD"
          },
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "39b0a010cae90520f74b7194f61fedd43af04ef8"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt",
          "type": "GIT"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cna_assigner": "VulnCheck",
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-426"
    ],
    "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/81xxx/CVE-2026-81697.json"
  },
  "details": "openssl_encrypt (pip package openssl-encrypt) versions \u003c= 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.",
  "id": "CVE-2026-81697",
  "modified": "2026-09-02T03:30:42.444949890Z",
  "published": "2026-08-27T14:51:00.542Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/81xxx/CVE-2026-81697.json"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81697"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-kdf-downgrade-via-cwd-relative-configuration"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.9.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "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",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration"
}