8.7
HIGH CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-74870
openssl_encrypt before 1.4.8 Hardware Pepper Information Disclosure
Description

openssl_encrypt (pip) versions <= 1.4.7 contain an information exposure vulnerability where the 'hsm fido2-test' and 'hsm onlykey-test' diagnostic commands unconditionally print the full derived hardware pepper as hex to stdout/stderr (crypt_cli.py, handle_hsm_command). The printed value can persist in terminal scrollback, session recordings, or CI logs. Impact is limited because the pepper is derived from a random per-invocation test salt and is salt-bound, so the leaked value cannot be used to decrypt real files. A related plugin issue logged raw prf_data outside the secret-redaction path. Fixed in 1.4.8 (and 1.5.0) by removing the hex dumps and routing plugin debug output through the redaction layer.

INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 17, 2026, 11:16 a.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 17, 2026, 11:16 a.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-74870 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

No affected product recoded yet

CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 LOW 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 3.1 LOW [email protected]
CVSS 4.0 HIGH 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 HIGH [email protected]
Solution
Update openssl_encrypt to version 1.4.8 or later to fix information exposure.
  • Update openssl_encrypt to version 1.4.8 or later.
  • Remove hex dumps from diagnostic commands.
  • Route plugin debug output through redaction layer.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-74870.

URL Resource
https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-p9g8-wvh4-2jmx
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-hardware-pepper-information-disclosure
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-74870 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-74870 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-74870 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-74870 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Aug. 17, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'vendor': 'jahlives', 'product': 'openssl_encrypt', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '1.4.8', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '1.4.8', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'packageURL': 'pkg:pypi/openssl_encrypt', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}]
    Added Description openssl_encrypt (pip) versions <= 1.4.7 contain an information exposure vulnerability where the 'hsm fido2-test' and 'hsm onlykey-test' diagnostic commands unconditionally print the full derived hardware pepper as hex to stdout/stderr (crypt_cli.py, handle_hsm_command). The printed value can persist in terminal scrollback, session recordings, or CI logs. Impact is limited because the pepper is derived from a random per-invocation test salt and is salt-bound, so the leaked value cannot be used to decrypt real files. A related plugin issue logged raw prf_data outside the secret-redaction path. Fixed in 1.4.8 (and 1.5.0) by removing the hex dumps and routing plugin debug output through the redaction layer.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
    Added CWE CWE-532
    Added Reference https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-p9g8-wvh4-2jmx
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-hardware-pepper-information-disclosure
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.