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GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg — openssl-encrypt

Fix: jahlives/openssl_encrypt@f4a1ba6

GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg is a CWE-347 vulnerability in openssl-encrypt. A fix is available for openssl-encrypt — see the affected versions and patch details below.

openssl-encrypt's unverified key bundle from_dict() + to_identity() path allows encryption to attacker keys

Also known asCVE-2026-74876PYSEC-2026-3756
Published
Apr 1, 2026
Updated
Sep 2, 2026
Affected
1 pkg
Patched
1 / 1
Exploits
None indexed
Exploitation data as of Sep 19, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

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-8h88-gxp3-j7pg.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗
0.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days
Lower Risk0.00%
Lower risk than most CVEs10th percentile — riskier than 10% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

1 pkg affected
🐍openssl-encrypt

Real-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

The PublicKeyBundle.from_dict() method in openssl_encrypt/modules/key_bundle.py at lines 329-361 creates bundles from untrusted data without verifying the signature. The docstring warns to call verify_signature() after creation, but the to_identity() method (line 363-391) can convert an unverified bundle directly to an Identity object.

Affected Code

@classmethod
def from_dict(cls, data: Dict) -> "PublicKeyBundle":
    """
    SECURITY: Does NOT verify signature. Call verify_signature() after creation.
    """
    # Creates bundle without verification

Impact

If from_dict() followed by to_identity() is called without an intervening verify_signature() call, encryption could be performed against an attacker's public key, leaking secrets. While key_resolver.py (lines 146-147) does verify before use, the unguarded API path remains directly callable.

Recommended Fix

  • Add a verified flag to PublicKeyBundle that must be set before to_identity() can be called
  • Or have to_identity() automatically call verify_signature() and raise on failure
  • Or make from_dict() require verification as part of construction

Fix

Fixed in commit f4a1ba6 on branch releases/1.4.x — from_dict() now verifies self_signature by default (verify=True parameter); raises ValueError on verification failure.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed
EcosystemPackageVulnerable rangeFix
🐍PyPIopenssl-encryptall versions1.4.0pip install --upgrade 'openssl-encrypt==1.4.0'

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

  1. Detect

    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.

  2. 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-8h88-gxp3-j7pg is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

  3. 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.

  4. How O3 protects you

    O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Tailored to GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

### Summary The `PublicKeyBundle.from_dict()` method in `openssl_encrypt/modules/key_bundle.py` at **lines 329-361** creates bundles from untrusted data without verifying the signature. The docstring warns to call `verify_signature()` after creation, but the `to_identity()` method (line 363-391) can convert an unverified bundle directly to an `Identity` object. ### Affected Code ```python @classmethod def from_dict(cls, data: Dict) -> "PublicKeyBundle": """ SECURITY: Does NOT verify signature. Call verify_signature() after creation. """ # Creates bundle without verification
O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg in your dependencies?

O3 Security finds GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.

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GHSA-8h88-gxp3-j7pg: openssl-encrypt | O3 Security