Weak Password Derivation in OpenSSL_Encrypt by OpenSSL

CVE-2026-81689

What is CVE-2026-81689?

The OpenSSL_Encrypt product versions prior to 1.4.9 exhibit a significant flaw in the way remote-pepper wrap keys are derived. This process utilizes unsalted HKDF-SHA256 or bare SHA-256 from user passwords, leading to identical keys being produced across different users and files. Such a design flaw allows attackers, who gain access to these wrapped pepper blobs, to construct a single dictionary table that can be employed for swift offline password guessing attacks, significantly increasing the risk of credential exposure across affected systems.

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