openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Denial of Service via KDF (CVE-2026-81721) | HOL Guard CVE

Unknown severity · Source severity not reportedCVE-2026-81721

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Denial of Service via KDF

Answer in brief

CVE-2026-81721 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Denial of Service via KDF. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps jahlives/openssl_encrypt (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.

Analysis pending evidence review

HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.

Published Aug 27, 2026Updated Aug 27, 2026Source checked Aug 27, 2026First seen by HOL Aug 27, 2026Material review Aug 27, 2026

Upstream Advisory

Key facts

Risk: Unknown severitySource severity not reported
Exploitation: Not marked as known exploited
Affected software: 1 mapped package or product
Fix availability: Available

Why this deserves its current priority

A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.

Analysis status

Analysis pending evidence review

Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.

Affected scope and exposure questions

The current feed maps jahlives/openssl_encrypt (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.

Mapped affected packages and fixed versions
Package	Affected range	Fixed version
jahlives/openssl_encryptgeneric	>=0 <1.4.9	1.4.9

Recommended response

Check inventory. Check lockfiles and deployed manifests for jahlives/openssl_encrypt.
Review the reported fix. Update jahlives/openssl_encrypt to 1.4.9 if you use the affected versions. Test the change in a non-production environment first.

Evidence timeline and material changes

Published upstream
Aug 27, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:record
Source modified
Aug 27, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:record
First seen by HOL
Aug 27, 2026

Sources and claim methodology

Upstream source description

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to validate KDF cost parameters in encrypted file metadata and keystore headers, allowing attackers to trigger unbounded memory allocation. Attackers can craft malicious encrypted files declaring arbitrarily large Argon2, scrypt, or balloon KDF parameters to exhaust system memory and crash the process without authentication.

Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.