Ciphertext tampering via AES-CTR fallback
Published Aug 17, 2026 · Updated Aug 17, 2026
Authentication bypass in jahlives OpenSSL Encrypt before 1.4.0 allows attackers to alter ciphertext in transit via AES-CTR fallback. In openssl_encrypt/modules/pqc.py, the decryption path catches AES-GCM authentication failures and then decrypts the same attacker-controlled ciphertext with AES-CTR, returning plaintext without any integrity check. Reachability requires a man-in-the-middle or other network position that can tamper with encrypted traffic, enabling undetected bit-flipping and forged plaintext delivery rather than direct code execution.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in jahlives OpenSSL Encrypt before 1.4.0 allows attackers to alter ciphertext in transit via AES-CTR fallback. In openssl_encrypt/modules/pqc.py, the decryption path catches AES-GCM authentication failures and then decrypts the same attacker-controlled ciphertext with AES-CTR, returning plaintext without any integrity check. Reachability requires a man-in-the-middle or other network position that can tamper with encrypted traffic, enabling undetected bit-flipping and forged plaintext delivery rather than direct code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-74901
- Published
- Aug 17, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 17, 2026
- Vendor
- jahlives
- Product
- OpenSSL Encrypt
- Classifications
- CWE-347, T1565.002
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 17, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <1.4.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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