9.3
CRITICAL CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-81719
openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Remote Code Execution via Plugin
Description

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 executes untrusted third-party plugins with insufficient controls: the plugin signature policy defaulted to WARN, so an unsigned/unverifiable non-built-in plugin was compiled and executed in the host process at import time, before the runtime sandbox is installed. The only default gate was an incomplete, bypassable AST denylist. If a user is induced to load an attacker's plugin, this results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running openssl_encrypt. Fixed in 1.4.9 by defaulting the signature policy to ENFORCE for non-built-in plugins.

INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 27, 2026, 5:21 p.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 27, 2026, 8:18 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-81719 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 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
CVSS 3.1 HIGH 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
CVSS 3.1 HIGH MITRE-CVE
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL [email protected]
Solution
Update openssl_encrypt to version 1.4.9 or later to enforce plugin signature verification.
  • Update openssl_encrypt to version 1.4.9.
  • Ensure plugin signature policy defaults to ENFORCE.
  • Review and enforce policies for third-party plugins.
  • Limit execution of unverifiable plugins.
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-2026-81719.

URL Resource
https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-587j-4r3v-cm2c
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-remote-code-execution-via-plugin
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-81719 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-2026-81719 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-2026-81719 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-81719 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.

  • CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Aug. 27, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-81719', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-08-27T18:27:57.459770Z'}
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Aug. 27, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 executes untrusted third-party plugins with insufficient controls: the plugin signature policy defaulted to WARN, so an unsigned/unverifiable non-built-in plugin was compiled and executed in the host process at import time, before the runtime sandbox is installed. The only default gate was an incomplete, bypassable AST denylist. If a user is induced to load an attacker's plugin, this results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running openssl_encrypt. Fixed in 1.4.9 by defaulting the signature policy to ENFORCE for non-built-in plugins.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-94
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/81xxx/CVE-2026-81719.json">CVE-2026-81719</a>
    Added Reference https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-587j-4r3v-cm2c
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-remote-code-execution-via-plugin
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.