openssl-encrypt silently skips schema validation when jsonschema library is not installedGHSA-425g-fjhq-5h92
Fix: jahlives/openssl_encrypt@6e7f938GHSA-425g-fjhq-5h92 is a CWE-345 vulnerability in openssl-encrypt. A fix is available for openssl-encrypt — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-425g-fjhq-5h92.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
Real-World Exposure
openssl-encryptReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Summary
In openssl_encrypt/modules/json_validator.py at lines 234-238, when the jsonschema library is not installed, all schema validation is silently skipped with only a print warning.
Affected Code
if not JSONSCHEMA_AVAILABLE:
print(f"Warning: Cannot validate against schema '{schema_name}' - jsonschema library not available")
return
Additionally, unknown metadata format versions (line 288-293) bypass schema validation entirely, and all schemas use additionalProperties: true allowing arbitrary extra fields.
Impact
An attacker who can influence the Python environment (remove the jsonschema package) or craft metadata with an unknown version number can bypass all schema checks. Malformed or malicious metadata will be accepted without validation.
Recommended Fix
- Make
jsonschemaa required dependency, not optional - Or fail-closed: refuse to process metadata when validation cannot be performed
- Reject unknown format versions instead of silently skipping validation
- Consider using
additionalProperties: falsein schemas
Fix
Fixed in commit 6e7f938 on branch releases/1.4.x — validate_against_schema() now raises JSONValidationError when jsonschema is unavailable instead of silently passing; changed print() warning to logging.warning().
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | openssl-encrypt | all versions | 1.4.0pip install --upgrade 'openssl-encrypt==1.4.0' |
Affected Products
openssl encryptjahlivesDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openssl-encrypt, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update openssl-encrypt to 1.4.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-425g-fjhq-5h92 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-425g-fjhq-5h92 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.