{"id":"CVE-2026-81697","aliases":["GHSA-7j2v-g84w-m75v"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2026-81697","summary":"openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 KDF Downgrade via CWD-relative Configuration","details":"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.","published":"2026-08-27T14:51:00.542Z","modified":"2026-08-28T03:47:29.254612921Z","cvss":null,"epss":null,"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":null,"affectedPackages":[],"fix":null,"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"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-08-28T03:47:29.254612921Z"}}