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CVE-2026-81681criticalCWE-311

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 False Encryption via Cleartext Storage

28Vexday Risk Score

No sign of exploitation. No public exploitation artifact known so far.

ssvc Trackcvss 9.3epss 0.1%
exploitation probability
0.1%top 97% of all CVEs
observed exploitation
nono source reports it
openssl_encrypt (pip package openssl-encrypt) versions <= 1.4.8 advertise a portable USB workspace as an 'Encrypted USB Workspace' with AES-256-GCM encryption and write a marker declaring the workspace encrypted, but the workspace directory is actually stored in cleartext and the derived encryption key is never applied to it. A user who trusts the branding and places files in the workspace leaves them unencrypted on the removable media, so an attacker with physical access to the media can read the sensitive files. Fixed in 1.4.9, which seals the workspace into an authenticated AES-256-GCM vault.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N