openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to redact the file password in its --debug argv dump when the password is supplied vi
openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to redact the file password in its --debug argv dump when the password is supplied via bundled short-option spellings (e.g. -apHunter2) or abbreviated long-option spellings (e.g. --passw). The sanitizer only recognized exact option names, --option=value forms, and tokens starting with -p, so these spellings bypass the redaction chokepoint and the cleartext password is written to stderr. Anyone with access to that output (terminal scrollback, merged 2>&1 output,
Affected packages
- openssl-encrypt— before 1.4.9
Exploit signal
- Known exploited (CISA KEV)
- No
- EPSS score
- —
- EPSS percentile
- —
EPSS is the probability a CVE is exploited in the wild; percentile is its rank among all CVEs.
Sources
- https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-jgvm-7jxv-cgcc
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-password-cleartext-leak-via-debug
Structured record: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/PYSEC-2026-3780
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