CVE-2026-81680
Received Received - Intake

OpenSSL Encrypt Recovery Slot Authentication Bypass

Publication date: 2026-08-27

Last updated on: 2026-08-27

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description
openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.9 fail to authenticate recovery-slot presence in envelope-format encrypted files, allowing attackers to remove recovery slots without re-encrypting the payload. Attackers can modify the file header to delete recovery-slot fields and bypass authentication, silently removing recovery paths the owner deliberately added.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-08-27
Last Modified
2026-08-27
Generated
2026-08-27
AI Q&A
2026-08-27
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-81680
EUVD
EUVD-2026-67036

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
openssl openssl_encrypt to 1.4.9 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-347 The product does not verify, or incorrectly verifies, the cryptographic signature for data.

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.9. It allows attackers to remove recovery slots from encrypted files without proper authentication by modifying the file header. This bypasses security measures and silently eliminates recovery paths set by the owner.

Impact Analysis

Attackers could exploit this to remove recovery paths in encrypted files, potentially gaining unauthorized access or causing data loss. It undermines the integrity of encrypted data and could allow attackers to bypass security controls.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade openssl_encrypt to version 1.4.9 or later to address the authentication bypass in recovery-slot handling.

  • Verify installed versions and update all affected systems to ensure recovery-slot fields are properly authenticated.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-81680. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart