Warning-text forgery via unsanitized recovery metadata
Published Aug 27, 2026 · Updated Aug 27, 2026
Output injection in OpenSSL Encrypt before 1.4.9 allows attackers to forge removal-dialog warnings through crafted encrypted files. The desktop GUI decodes unsanitized recovery-slot id and type fields into bare Text widgets, so bidi controls and U+2028/U+2029 separators can create deceptive lines. Exploitation requires a user to open the crafted file and invoke irreversible slot removal; the demonstrated consequence is a misleading confirmation prompt, not code execution or data disclosure.
Summary
What happened
Output injection in OpenSSL Encrypt before 1.4.9 allows attackers to forge removal-dialog warnings through crafted encrypted files. The desktop GUI decodes unsanitized recovery-slot id and type fields into bare Text widgets, so bidi controls and U+2028/U+2029 separators can create deceptive lines. Exploitation requires a user to open the crafted file and invoke irreversible slot removal; the demonstrated consequence is a misleading confirmation prompt, not code execution or data disclosure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-81685
- Published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 27, 2026
- Vendor
- jahlives
- Product
- OpenSSL Encrypt
- Classifications
- CWE-116
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 27, 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 <1.4.9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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