CVE-2026-81699: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in jahlives openssl_encrypt
Description
openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.9 fail to properly validate key derivation function costs in crafted files, allowing attackers to trigger unbounded memory and CPU exhaustion during pre-authentication processing. Attackers can supply malicious files with excessive KDF parameters to exhaust system resources and crash or wedge the process before password verification occurs.
CVSS v4.0
Score 8.7high
Affected software
jahlives
openssl_encrypt
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in jahlives openssl_encrypt prior to version 1.4.9 arises from a failure to properly validate the costs associated with the key derivation function in specially crafted files. Attackers can exploit this by supplying malicious files with excessive KDF parameters, triggering unbounded consumption of memory and CPU resources during pre-authentication processing. This resource exhaustion can crash or wedge the process, resulting in denial of service conditions before any password verification is performed.
Potential Impact
Exploitation of this vulnerability can cause denial of service by exhausting system memory and CPU resources, potentially crashing or hanging the process handling the openssl_encrypt function. This occurs before any authentication, so it can be triggered without credentials or user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-27T11:12:29.817Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a906bb7acd9273b4983a25c
Added to database: 08/27/2026, 16:54:15 UTC
Last enriched: 10/02/2026, 15:56:05 UTC
Last updated: 10/09/2026, 18:48:23 UTC
Views: 55
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