CVE-2026-74872 affects the jahlives openssl_encrypt product in versions prior to 1.4.0. The vulnerability is caused by the Whirlpool hash implementation using broad glob patterns to load shared object (.so) modules without integrity checks. This allows attackers to place malicious .so files in site-packages directories that match the pattern whirlpool*py313*.so, resulting in arbitrary native code execution upon module loading. The CVSS 4.0 score is 9.3, indicating a critical severity with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary native code on the affected system with no user interaction required. This can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or service disruption. The vulnerability is critical due to its ease of exploitation and severe impact on system security.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, avoid placing untrusted .so files in site-packages directories and restrict write permissions to these directories to prevent malicious file placement.