GHSA-4rh7-jwg9-m28m — openssl-encrypt
Fix: jahlives/openssl_encrypt@4b2adb0GHSA-4rh7-jwg9-m28m is a CWE-598 vulnerability in openssl-encrypt. A fix is available for openssl-encrypt — see the affected versions and patch details below.
openssl-encrypt accepts refresh tokens as URL query parameters causing token leakage
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-4rh7-jwg9-m28m.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
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
Refresh tokens are accepted as URL query parameters in the keyserver and telemetry server routes.
Affected Code
# openssl_encrypt_server/modules/keyserver/routes.py:214-215
# openssl_encrypt_server/modules/telemetry/routes.py:90-91
async def refresh_token(
request: Request,
refresh_token: str = Query(..., description="Refresh token")
):
Impact
Tokens in URL query parameters are exposed in:
- Server access logs
- Proxy/CDN logs
- Browser history
- HTTP Referer headers
- Network monitoring tools
This creates significant token leakage risk.
Recommended Fix
- Accept refresh tokens in the request body (POST) instead of query parameters
- Use
Body(...)instead ofQuery(...)
Fix
Fixed in commit 4b2adb0 on branch releases/1.4.x — moved refresh token from Query parameter to POST body via RefreshRequest Pydantic model.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | openssl-encrypt | all versions | 1.4.0pip install --upgrade 'openssl-encrypt==1.4.0' |
Detection & 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-4rh7-jwg9-m28m 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-4rh7-jwg9-m28m can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-4rh7-jwg9-m28m. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4rh7-jwg9-m28m in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-4rh7-jwg9-m28m across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.